A/N - Sorry for yet another delay; life has really been piling on the bullshit. ONWARD!
Ellana lay intertwined with Solas on the ocean's surface. They had lain in the Fade talking for what felt like hours.
"He had failed and it shames me to admit it but I killed him," Solas continued.
"That's… Why would you do that?" Ellana asked. "That's not the man I know."
"I was…different…then," he replied, sitting up. "I had awoken to a world entirely foreign to what I knew and to hear someone claiming otherwise… I couldn't accept it. I couldn't even begin to imagine it. It's strange; I've lived for so long unchanged but these past few years… I'm not the same man I was."
"Must be my shining influence," Ellana joked.
He splashed her playfully with water and she recoiled in annoyance.
During the past few days she had gotten to know him better than she ever had before. Their nights had been spent talking in both the Fade and the waking world. They had a new rule – no more secrets. Ellana doubted they would be able to keep it up but for now, at least, it was blissful. She had always felt barred from prying too much in to his past but now the walls had come tumbling down. She'd learned so much already and, as it turned out, he was just as fascinating as he seemed. They had also agreed to take things slower. Both had said things that neither could take back. Ellana felt they needed to regain some of what they had lost whilst avoiding the intensity of their previous relationship. It seemed like a wise idea at the time but neither had been able to maintain it for long. Even in moments of clarity she felt drawn to him and he was just as powerless to resist.
"Your turn," he pressed on. "Regale me with another regretful experience."
"No, I'm done," she replied.
"Come now, vhenan! You cannot expect me to believe that you have nothing more to offer?" he whined.
"Well that's all you're getting."
"No! You promised no more secrets so deliver."
"No, seriously, I'm done! You're giving me profound experiences while I'm offering up the time I fucked a farm boy to annoy my Mother! I'm hardly living up to expectations here," she exclaimed.
"Yes…I must admit, I was not quite ready for that one," he replied with a laugh. "It is not a competition, my love. I have lived considerably longer than you. I am bound to have a few more stories to tell."
"Precisely and I want to hear it all so you take another turn," she said with a smirk.
He let out a sigh, annoyed he had fallen in to her trap so easily. He offered nothing, a comfortable silence descending over them as he lay back and stroked her hair. Ellana broke it.
"You know, sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if we had never met."
He stopped his stroking and Ellana immediately regretted her thoughtless words.
"Not in a bad way, just… All those years ago you came in to my life and it turned everything upside down. The Conclave, the Mark and then you… I took on a life I had never expected," she tried to explain. She glanced up at him hoping he wasn't hurt. "Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had never been there. I'd probably still be with my Clan, bonded to some other hunter, maybe kids…it's absurd to think now. I led an army and here I am laid on top of the ocean in the arms of the Dread Wolf. It just seems so unbelievable. If I wasn't living it I would think I was dreaming!"
"You are dreaming," he remarked, giving nothing away.
"You know what I mean," she said with a light jostle.
Neither said anything. She couldn't read his expression but she wanted to know what he was thinking. Before she could ask he spoke.
"Do you think you would have been happier, living that life?" he asked.
"I…I don't know," Ellana replied uselessly. His question had thrown her off. "I can't know, can I?"
"That's not really an answer. You can imagine can you not?" he added, expression still impassive.
"Well I don't know! It's a difficult question." She sighed. "All right. I'll try and answer if you answer something just as difficult first." She looked up at him hopefully.
"Difficult? I'm not sure I like the sound of that," he replied carefully.
"Solas, you promised…"
"I know, I know," he interrupted. "Fine, but you have to answer too."
"Okay. Don't be mad but with everything that happened there is something that has played on my mind. You said that I should have left," she started, making his expression noticeably darken. "That that's what you wanted… Did you mean that?"
Solas immediately regretted agreeing to this. His mouth hung open briefly as he struggled with what to say. He opted for the truth.
"Yes and no."
"Well that's hardly an answer either!" Ellana interrupted in annoyance.
"Let me finish," he interjected. She quieted, watching him too intently for his liking. "There are times when I honestly believe that both of us would be better off apart. So much of what we do, what we want is entangled in one another. Our lives would be so much simpler without that weight."
Ellana couldn't really argue with that. Life had always been easier when she had only herself to worry about. Now she had to factor him in to every decision and that was an undeniable weight; a weight that had only grown heavier with her pregnancy.
"But even if you did leave, I would carry that weight with me still," he continued. "A part of me would be gone and I'm not sure what I would become without it. I existed fine before and I thought I could again but you've changed me more than I ever thought possible. That cannot be undone, no matter how hard you or I may try."
Ellana laughed. He glowered at her in wounded confusion.
"This is funny to you?" he asked.
"No! It's lovely," she remarked, placing a hand reassuringly on his cheek. She giggled again much to his annoyance. "But you pretty much just said exactly what I was going to answer. Would I be happier living a mundane Dalish life? Back then – definitely. It would be so much easier but you've also changed me, I could never live that life happily now. I was wandering aimlessly through life and then you came and cut me loose. I want, I need so much more now. I have never felt more incomplete than in your absence."
He resumed stroking her hair, smiling to himself.
"Do you think it's morning yet?" Ellana eventually asked.
"I have no idea," he replied. "Unfortunately the only way we can know is by waking."
Ellana let out a long dissatisfied sigh.
"I'll go," he said.
He got up to leave and Ellana lay back happily, hoping they would still have some time. Suddenly a thought occurred to her.
"No! Wait!" she yelled.
But it was already too late. With Solas gone the Fade no longer bent to his will. The second he disappeared there was nothing keeping her aloft and she tumbled through the water's surface. The last thing she felt was icy cold before waking with a scream. From her side Solas looked at her with confused concern.
"The water!" she exclaimed, glaring at him.
"Oh!" he remarked, recognition finally dawning. "Sorry, I forgot…"
He couldn't help but laugh. She shoved him but he caught her, pulling her to him.
"On a positive note, the sun is only just rising," he continued with a sly smirk. "We have time…"
"No way; not after that," she replied, still angry.
He reached up and kissed her. It was slow, leading. When he pulled away she was left wanting more. He kept tantalisingly close.
"Well…" she said with a gulp. "I suppose I could use warming up…"
She kissed him, bridging the gap between them. Her hand descended gently down his chest but he stopped her at his waist, tutting lightly.
"Not yet, vhenan," he said, turning her. "Ladies first."
She let out an appreciative whine as his own hand found its way between her legs.
"Maybe I should just dye it again," Ellana thought, gazing at her reflection.
Requiring more upkeep than she was willing to undertake she had thought to grow the colour out of her hair. She grew tired of the black and Solas had expressed a desire to see a return to her natural silver. Looking at herself now though, she was starting to regret the decision. With just her roots silver she felt she looked idiotic. She had just emerged from a soothing bath. Solas had long since abandoned her having never shared her love of the warm waters beyond their necessary function. She had taken much longer than she had intended. She was surprised he hadn't been through to hurry her along. Tying her hair up she went out to see where he had got to. She couldn't see him in the bedroom so she made her way over to the office door.
"Solas?" she called through it to no avail.
She returned to the bedroom and finished dressing. A sound from the balcony caught her attention and when she went out to investigate she finally found him. He was fast asleep in one of the chairs. She tiptoed to perch on the wall opposite and surprisingly her presence did not wake him. His eyelids flickered with dreaming sleep; his brow contorted in a frown. Annoyingly he had never been one to talk in his sleep so she had no idea what he was doing. She watched him intently as his expression darkened. She thought she saw him shake his head lightly.
"And so it starts…" she thought sadly.
She wanted to wake him but in the end that would be more trouble than it was worth. Knowing what he was doing was not going to bring her any comfort, if he would even tell her. She pushed off from her perch and left.
The sound of the bedroom door slamming awoke Solas from his slumber. He looked around in some confusion but with time his mind rested on the most likely scenario.
"Damn…" he murmured, getting up and leaving himself.
Ellana sat perched on Solas's desk fresh from another discussion about the Inquisition. She had not mentioned what she had seen on the balcony nor did she intend to. Solas seemed more than happy to avoid the issue as well. Their discussions had been disappointing. She had hoped they would find some form of resolution but that had been naive. They were too far gone to resolve this.
"It is the best we could hope for vhenan. We cannot face them with our current numbers; the best we can do is try and minimise the damage," Solas reassured.
Ellana sighed sadly.
"You did well, if that's any consolation," he went on. "The others seem to be finally taking you seriously."
It had been strange speaking with Solas's inner circle. Obviously she knew Varden well but she had only ever seen the others in passing. She was glad Liahra had not been present, still occupied in Tevinter. Ellana doubted it would have gone so well if she had been involved.
"I suppose," Ellana replied, lying back.
Solas picked up a familiar item from his desk: the key from the cave ruins. Seeing it again had been a strange experience, especially given the cost of its return, but she was glad it was back in its rightful place.
"You shouldn't doubt yourself, it's not exactly your first time in a leadership role," he mused, tossing the vial between his hands.
"Leadership? I'm hardly a leader," Ellana replied, looking at his carelessness with concern. "Be careful! A wyvern almost ate me to get you that damn thing; if you break it I'm going to kill you!"
"Calm down, it is perfectly safe," he appeased, putting it back on the desk with mock care. He paused, concern returning to his features. "You still want to join me on this excursion?"
Ellana rolled her eyes, she had been expecting this. Solas had become increasingly protective since he had accepted she was with child. She could understand the desire but believed it to be somewhat premature. At her current stage she was still perfectly capable so she saw no reason why she could not continue as normal.
"Definitely. Why should you get to have all the excitement?" she retorted.
"Ellana, I have literally no idea what will be in that mirror. You know how I dislike unknown variables," he argued. "At the very least it is going to be dangerous and in your state is it really wise…"
"What did I say about referring to your child as a state?!" she interrupted angrily.
"All I meant was it is not just you you'd be putting in danger, vhenan," he clarified carefully.
"Fine, if it gets bad I'll leave but I want to see it, Solas. Surely you can understand that?" she retorted.
He sighed, resigned.
"You'll be there, how dangerous can it really be?" she said, running a finger down his nose playfully.
He got up abruptly clearly aggravated.
"We are already late," he said, offering her a hand to help her up.
"Aww, do we have to?" she whined. "You're fun when you're annoyed."
He lifted her off the desk letting out an angry noise as he did.
"All seems to be in order," Firanni concluded.
With Mirwen by her side she had been examining Ellana. Solas had requested they keep a close eye on her progress throughout the pregnancy and they had been happy to oblige. Ellana had been less so. While it was reassuring to know that someone was watching out for her, she didn't really see the point. There was only so much they could tell from examination.
"That's good," Ellana replied. "Can Solas come back in now?"
For some reason the fire haired girl had insisted he step out during the examination. Again, Ellana didn't see the point, he had obviously seen it all before. Solas had made to argue but Ellana stopped him; too worried to anger the person best suited to care for their child.
Firanni nodded. "I'll get him on my way out," she said as she packed up.
"There is no need," Solas said, entering unannounced. He still looked angered. "While you may pointlessly keep me from seeing, my hearing is entirely unimpaired."
Ellana glared at him.
"All is well?" he asked, making it clear that the question was directed at Mirwen, not Firanni.
Solas came to stand by Ellana's side. She elbowed him in the ribs with yet another glare.
"She is progressing as one would expect," Firanni replied with a smirk. "Sickness is still an obvious issue but the current remedy seems to be keeping it under control?"
"Yes," Ellana replied with a nod. "I only feel nauseous before I take it."
"Good. Hopefully it will abate with time," Firanni mused.
"What about activity?" Solas asked carefully.
Ellana glared at him knowing exactly where he was going with this.
"Ellana wishes to continue in much the same way as she had before. Is that wise given her condition? Should she not be resting?" he continued.
"No," Mirwen piped up, a worried look sweeping across her features for the briefest of seconds. "It is still early, she is perfectly capable…"
"That is true," Firanni interrupted. "While more rest would obviously be beneficial, it is not necessary for her to alter her lifestyle drastically at this stage."
"You see? It's fine!" Ellana added.
"It is not fine," Solas snapped.
"Temper, temper, Wolf," Mirwen chastised. "For as long as Ellana feels able she may continue as she was."
"As you will," he snapped back. He turned to Ellana. "I'll be outside when you're ready."
Ellana sighed as he left.
"So he is clearly still struggling then?" Mirwen mused.
Ellana nodded sadly. She didn't want to elaborate in Firanni's presence but luckily she left behind Solas. Ellana still did not fully trust her.
"I can't say I blame him, it is a lot to take in," Ellana eventually replied. "I know he's worried about me and I joke but I don't know what else to do. He needs to realise he can't control everything."
"It would be against his nature not to try," Mirwen added.
"I know. I wish he'd talk more about it; share what's going through his mind. He's fine about the physical side but all the rest… He wants so desperately to keep us the way we are while trying to change the rest of the world. It seems so impossible. I just wish he could accept the things he cannot change." Ellana paused, thinking on her problems. "How do you see this ending?"
Mirwen raised a brow sceptically. "You know I can't answer that," she replied. "Your choices and his will shape your reality. You will become those choices. I cannot possibly surmise which you will make…"
"Is there ever…" Ellana interrupted, doubting she should go on. "Is there ever a time where it works out? Where everything is as we want it to be?"
"What you want changes; fluid like water. Your priorities now may not be the same as those in the end," Mirwen replied.
"I need to know if there is any…" Ellana stopped, seeing Solas in the doorway. He looked thoroughly unamused.
"All that matters for now is that you know that an obstacle does not have to be overcome. There are other routes. Friends in the most unexpected of places. See wisdom for what it is and it will see you," the Keeper said, placing a hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
Ellana looked at her blankly, eyebrow raised questioningly.
"We have to go," Solas said from the door, mirroring her bewildered look.
Ellana got down from the table.
"Yes, go!" Mirwen pronounced, ushering her away. "Send the raven my regards!"
Solas took Ellana's arm and led her out of the tent.
"I really wish that woman would just say what she means," Ellana remarked with annoyance.
Solas laughed. "That would be much too easy would it not?"
"What is an Eluvian doing out here?" Ellana asked as she trudged through the undergrowth.
They were in the forest north of the tower; far further than she had ever been. She walked alongside Solas with a group of elves following behind. Mercifully, they seemed to have finally gotten over the initial amusement of seeing their illustrious leader and his Paramore in such close quarters but there was still the odd whisper from behind.
"It was in a rather precarious position when I found it so I had it brought here," Solas mused. "It seemed a fitting place to keep it until I found the solution."
Ellana nodded. He still hadn't entirely let go of his anger and she didn't want to provoke him further. Even still, she couldn't help but wish he hadn't had it brought out so far.
"You're regretting your decision to join me?" he asked with a slight smile. It was annoying how easily he read her.
"Not at all," she said determinedly. "In fact, I wanted to thank you for letting me come. It means a lot."
"I didn't exactly have a choice…"
"Yes you did," she interrupted. "You could have ordered me not to or just gone behind my back; you could have easily kept me from here but you didn't…"
A gentle smile spread across his features. "No, I suppose I did not…"
"Thank you," she whispered, planting a kiss on his cheek.
The murmuring erupted from behind but neither one cared. Solas took her hand in his and they kept walking.
A short distance away they came to a stop. A dark Eluvian stood seeming misplaced amongst the trees. Ellana had expected something more; at least some structure around the mirror but it quite literally just sat there.
"We're here," Solas remarked, taking the vial from his clothing before proceeding on.
Ellana stayed put.
"Why all the way out here?" she asked.
"I wanted it away from the camps. I did not know what we would find once we opened it and I would prefer it was not within striking distance." Solas raised the vial up to the mirror's surface and it disintegrated in his hands. Light replaced the vial as it disappeared, passing from him to the mirror. "Even if there is no immediate danger, I would still prefer that no one wanders nearby. I am unsure if I will be able to lock it effectively so I would rather not take the risk." The mirror lit up as he spoke and he smiled. "Excellent."
Ellana passed a hand across its surface in amazement. The mirrors would never bore her. Solas turned to the others.
"I am uncertain what we will find beyond and for that reason each of you should remain alert. If I order you to run you should do so without delay. Stay sharp and do not touch anything," he ordered.
He held out a hand to Ellana.
"That goes for you too," he said as she took it.
Solas walked free of the mirror and Ellana stumbled out behind. They found themselves at the edge of a vast ocean with rocky beach stretched out beneath their feet. Behind them cliffs wrapped around obscuring whatever lay beyond.
"Are we in Thedas?" Ellana asked letting out a gentle gasp.
Solas looked around, taking in a narrow opening in the rocks that looked passable. He could not feel the hum that was always present in the world within the mirrors. He looked out to the ocean beyond.
"I think we are," he mused. He walked over to the cliffs, coming to rest at the opening. An archway had held the rocks aloft but it had long since collapsed. The ground was littered with boulders. "I have no idea where we are, must be an island of some sort. But why? Why out here?"
Ellana came to his side and gazed down in to the opening.
"Stay close," he said before taking her hand.
They navigated the rocks with some difficulty but eventually they made it to the other side. The cliffs all but surrounded them, curving around the island to keep the central area enclosed. The apparent lack of another exit concerned Solas slightly before his attention was drawn to the rest of their surroundings. Immediately apparent was the monumental spire ascending up in the centre. It was damaged but he could still feel the thrum of magic from within. He moved closer to examine it. Crystal ascended in spirals and within aquamarine light flurried up. He reached out a hand to touch its surface. It had been a long time since he had seen anything like it.
"The damage has lessened whatever power there was within," he pondered aloud. "But what purpose could this exist for?" He caught sight of another ruined archway behind and a doorway beyond that. "Perhaps it is powering something inside?"
He ran a hand up the crystalline structure feeling the satisfying pulse of the magic within.
"Remarkable isn't it?" he asked.
But no reply came. He looked around in confusion, seeing only their elven companions.
"Ellana?" he asked uselessly. The elves looked on in equal confusion. "Where did she go?"
Ellana had not intended to leave his side but the temptation had been too great. Just as she had hoped this place was fascinating. Not so attuned to magical energies, the spire had not grabbed her attention as it had with Solas. The architecture was what fascinated her. Beyond the second archway she could see the door in the distance surrounded by other ruined pillars. Above some sort of bizarre roof spiralled up. It was odd, seeming to have no real logic to its form. From the other surrounding structures and its white colour she presumed it must be elvhen but it looked like nothing she had ever seen before. She wandered over, too engrossed to notice Solas going in the other direction. A pathway took her up the cliffs but it was littered with rocks making her progress slow. Shortly before the top a shorter white wall started, winding up to join with the main structure. The way it spiralled seemed natural despite its odd formation. As she neared she could feel a curious heat emanating from the wall. She reached out a hand to touch its surface. It felt rough and unlike anything she had ever felt before. It didn't feel like stone and on closer inspection it didn't look like it either. The warmth was strangely soothing. She continued up the path gazing intently at the wider structure. It was even more bizarre up close. Seemingly random pieces spiralling up and jutting out without any clear pattern. The highest point looked especially strange but from below she couldn't quite see what it was. She kept her hand running along its surface as she walked; the feeling still oddly comforting.
"Ellana?" she heard Solas yell from below.
Beneath her hand she could have sworn she felt the wall tremble at the sound. She recoiled in shock and a great rumbling sound emanated from within the structure. She took a few steps back as it moved again. She only just managed to duck in time as the wall swung out over her head. She could see now that it was definitely not stone rather a monumental tail. The rumbling grew louder as the beast unfurled, clearly no longer the roof she had been expecting. Wings parted above to reveal the head of the largest dragon she had ever seen. With its back to her it reared on its hind legs, wings outstretched, blotting out the sun above. Its roar shook the earth beneath her.
"The White Raven," she gasped.
Solas heard the roar before he saw it. A huge shadow shrouded the valley in darkness. He saw Ellana first slowly backing away towards the cliff edge. The sky behind was almost entirely taken up by the colossal white dragon.
"No… No! No! No! No!" he yelled as panic took over.
He broke in to a run blasting any obstruction out of his path. He had to reach her in time.
Ellana's immediate thought was to run but she knew better. She had faced many dragons in her time and she had learned that one should never run from an apex predator. She tried to keep still but that was proving difficult. She found herself backing away against her better judgement. The beast beat its wings, taking flight and the force of it pushed her off balance. She fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Despite its immense size the dragon moved through the air effortlessly. Ellana wasn't certain it had even seen her but as it turned she realised she hadn't been so lucky. She got to her feet, fumbling for her weapons. Beneath her she could hear Solas crying out and the crashing of stone. He would never reach her in time. The beast slowed as it reached the cliff edge, flapping its colossal wings hard to remain aloft. Ellana ducked low to keep the air force from knocking her off balance again. She stood poised for the first attack but none came. It grabbed at the cliff edge to gain purchase and let out a low rumble. The sound of air entering its massive nostrils made her jump. She expected flames but again none came. As its head neared she could tell that it was sniffing her. So close, Ellana could see its pale blue eyes clearly and for some reason Mirwen's words flurried through her mind.
"See wisdom for what it is and it will see you."
She had seen many dragons before but none like this one. They had always been so quick to attack, intense power for the sake of it but this one was different. There was no malice in its eyes, no pride. All she could see was curiosity. The rumbling intensified as it brought itself closer to her. It sniffed at her midriff. Longing shone out from behind its eyes. Ellana had seen no evidence of dragonlings or anything else for that matter.
"She's all alone," Ellana thought.
It let out a brief rasp as she moved her hands, attention focusing on her weapons. She dropped them at her feet.
"I don't want to hurt you," she whispered.
The beast looked at her curiously. A quiet trill erupted from its throat.
"See? It's okay," she continued in a soothing tone.
She moved closer, no longer afraid. She outstretched a hand to it but the beast growled lightly.
"No, no," Ellana appeased. "It's okay. Are you all alone out here?"
The beast brought its head in to sniff her intently and let out another deep whine.
"It's okay. I'm here now."
A loud crash heralded the arrival of Solas. His eyes were glowing and he looked incensed. The dragon turned to the sound letting out a roar.
"No!" Ellana yelled, holding up a hand. "Solas stop!"
He did as he was bid but the glow remained in his eyes.
"Ellana, stand aside!" he shouted.
The dragon let out a low, threatening growl.
"Solas, please! Wait!" Ellana begged. Once she was satisfied he had stopped she turned back to the beast. "It's all right. Don't worry about him," She outstretched a hand towards the dragon and to her surprise it trilled happily. "You don't have to be alone anymore."
Ellana touched a hand to the dragon's face and soothing warmth bled in to her. Wings still beating the beast pressed its nose lightly against her stomach, leaning in to her touch.
"Ellana, you are being ridiculous; it is a dragon!" Solas remarked angrily.
The beast padded about nervously nearby growling occasionally at Solas. It didn't seem to like him much. The other elves had kept their distance but all stared up in wonder at the creature before them.
"I am aware of that! So we're going to kill her purely because of her nature?" Ellana retorted.
"It is a dragon!" he repeated.
"She's a dragon unlike any I have ever seen before, Solas. She didn't attack us! We're intruders in her home and she didn't attack us! That has to count for something!" Ellana continued.
The dragon trilled happily in the background as though it were agreeing with her point. Solas let out an exasperated noise, throwing up his arms in anger.
"She didn't attack us. We can't just kill her. If she is no threat then who are we to deny her existence?" Ellana remarked.
"And what is to stop it from turning? What happens when it inevitably causes harm?" Solas replied.
"We can't just assume she will. Look at her, she's remarkable!" The dragon let out another happy trill. "Unlike anything I have ever seen! We can't destroy her under the presumption that she may hurt someone," she argued. "Besides…wouldn't a dragon be useful?"
"It is a dragon!" he repeated yet again. "You are not keeping a dragon! It is not some pet! Have you gone completely mad?!"
"I'm not saying we bring her home with us…just…maybe…keep her here…" Ellana went on carefully. She turned to the beast, holding out a hand. "Wouldn't that be nice? Would you like that if we visited you?" she babied.
The dragon whined, leaning in to her touch. Solas glared at her and the beast let out a low growl in his direction.
"Look at her; she's intelligent. If it were any other creature you wouldn't be so opposed! It's almost like she understands me," she continued.
"It is a dragon! It does not understand you. You have gone completely mad," he said, throwing up his hands again and walking away.
She followed Solas down the path. Rumbling nervously the dragon climbed down the cliffs a respectful distance behind them. Solas looked back at it and Ellana with annoyance.
"You cannot be serious," he uttered before muttering something in elven.
Ellana raised a hand to the dragon before catching up with Solas. Letting out a mournful whine it stopped dutifully.
"Solas?" she enquired carefully. "This isn't about the dragon is it? Talk to me."
He stopped in his tracks.
"Do you have any idea how scared I was?! I thought that thing was going to kill you and there would be nothing I could do but watch!" he yelled. "I told you to stay by my side!"
"I know but I didn't realise you had gone! It's all so fascinating and I guess I just wandered off. I'm sorry," Ellana replied with genuine feeling.
Solas sighed.
"I suppose I too lost track of you in the wake of this place; we're both guilty of the same transgression," he mused, kissing her forehead in appreciation of her survival.
"At least we got a dragon out of it," she mumbled against him.
He broke away from her, rolling his eyes. Following behind Ellana made her way through the ruined pillars towards the evident doorway. She gazed with wonder at the spire as they passed.
"What is this place?" she asked with a gasp. "Is that magic?" She pointed towards the spire.
"I believe so. For what purpose I do not know," Solas replied. "It is likely powering something inside."
The two came to rest at the door. Solas placed a hand on it and his brow furrowed.
"What is inside? Can you open it?" Ellana asked.
"I have no idea, could be anything," he replied dismissively. "I think…" He stopped mid-stream and his eyes started to glow. "It is locked but I think I can…"
A monumental roar drowned out his voice as the dragon came barrelling down the cliff side. Wings outstretched and teeth bared it roared at him again. The air around him crackled as he turned to face it. Ellana ran in front.
"No!" she screamed.
The beast backed away with a whine but Solas did no such thing.
"Go!" she shouted to the dragon and to her surprise it backed away further.
Solas looked just as surprised as she was. Finally placated he turned back to the door but the dragon let out a low growl.
"I don't think she wants us to go in," Ellana mused, still watching her pet.
"It is a dragon. What does it know?" Solas added with a laugh.
His eyes glowed and with a gesture something snapped in the door. He pushed it open with ease. The dragon let out another growl.
"Solas, are you sure we should go in?" Ellana asked with worry.
"You are seriously trusting the judgement of a dragon? Seriously?" he replied mockingly.
He didn't wait for her, walking through without any hesitation. Taking one last look back at her new friend Ellana followed reluctantly behind.
The deeper they went the darker it got. Solas had conjured a ball of light that followed them as they went but they still couldn't see much. Ellana could still hear the quiet whines of the dragon from outside but she didn't focus on them. As they went further in she started to feel an all-consuming sense of dread that she couldn't explain. She could focus on little else. Solas seemed to know where he was going despite the poor light. Ellana could hear something crackling beyond and she wondered if that was what was drawing him. A glow of blue light became visible as they reached an archway. Ellana stopped suddenly.
"Do you hear that?" she asked, fear evident in her tone.
"What? The crackling? I think it is magic of some sort; likely a barrier," Solas responded, turning back to her with concern.
"No, not that," she said. She stopped to listen intently and he joined her. "The whispering. Do you hear it?"
Surprise flickered across his expression for a fraction of a second. He came to her side with a doubting look.
"No…I do not hear any whispers. What are they saying?"
"I don't know, I can't hear them properly, they're so quiet." Ellana stopped again to listen. Her face was paler than usual. "We shouldn't be here."
"Vhenan, you are worrying over nothing," Solas remarked, turning back towards the blue glow. "If there were dangers they would have shown themselves by now."
Ellana couldn't follow him. She couldn't explain it but she felt too heavy to move. The whispers evaporated and for a brief moment silence surrounded her. Suddenly deafening screams clouded her mind.
"Solas?" she said uselessly before collapsing to the floor.
"Then I'll go in and wake her!"
Ellana could hear Solas's voice murkily in the background of her mind. She couldn't tell if she was awake. She was definitely lying down but she had no idea where she was beyond that.
"That would be unwise. The shock of suddenly waking could be dangerous."
The replying voice sounded like Mirwen. Ellana chased the groggy feeling from her mind. She couldn't remember what had led to her being here. She tried to open her eyes but the light was blinding.
"Solas?" she said weakly.
He came to her side, grasping her hand desperately.
"Ellana? Ellana are you okay?"
She forced her eyes open as much as she could and the sight of his distraught face came slowly in to view.
"I…I don't know," she replied looking around in confusion.
Solas closed his eyes in relief. Mirwen had come to her side as well, concern evident in her features. She said something to Solas but Ellana couldn't make it out. She was too focused on her memories that were slowly returning.
"I couldn't move and the sound was deafening and then…" Ellana thought aloud. "There was a shadow and then it all went black. Did I fall?" A thought suddenly occurred to her. "The baby! Is the baby alright?! Was I hurt?!"
"Everything is fine," Solas reassured, clutching her hand more tightly. "I caught you in time."
"Did you…did you see anything? Did you hear it?" she asked, desperate to prove it hadn't all been in her imagination.
"No vhenan. I heard nothing," he replied carefully. "When you fell I brought you back home immediately. I never found out what…"
"A word," Mirwen interjected, placing a hand on Solas's shoulder.
He looked up at her angrily. Ellana wondered if he had already chastised Mirwen for insisting she be allowed to attend the ruins in the first place. He turned back to Ellana with a kinder expression.
"Vhenan, I will be right back. If you need me…"
"I know," Ellana interrupted.
He left her side to speak with Mirwen. Ellana tried to look around the room, still unsure where she was. Her vision was still blurry but she could tell that she was in a tent of some sort. She presumed it must be Mirwen's. Her vision started to clear and she could see the two talking a short distance away. She couldn't hear what they were saying but Solas looked decidedly sceptical. He must have recovered somewhat but she could still see he was ashen with worry. Ellana touched a hand to her stomach and closed her eyes. In the darkness she saw great blue eyes flashing back at her quizzically.
"What happened to the dragon?" she asked. "You didn't hurt her did you?"
Solas and Mirwen, their conversation cut short, both looked at her in surprise.
"No, I did not have to," he replied, coming back over to her side. "When I carried you out it was so focused on the door – roaring, burning… When I return I will no doubt see her again if that would ease your worry?"
"Return? Inside?! No! You can't go back in there!" Ellana exclaimed.
"What? Why? I have to, vhenan," he replied. "There's a barrier which means there is something in there. It could be what we need. Whoever put it there must be trying to keep people out."
"Or keep something in. Please don't go back in there. Please!"
Solas raised an eyebrow doubtingly.
"It's something terrible, I know it is! The wyvern, the key, the dragon, the barrier…all there to keep people away. " she went on.
He shook his head. "Vhenan that is…"
"Please! I am begging you!" Ellana cried, sitting up in desperation. She was becoming panicked, too panicked.
"Calm down," Solas appeased. Ellana made to yell again but he gently lowered her back on to the bed. "For now, I will not but you need to calm down and give yourself time to recover."
"I want to go home! I want to go home and for you to stay with me! I need you to stay with me," she cried out.
Solas held her in his arms, keeping her from rising again.
"I will vhenan. I will."
Once Ellana had calmed down Solas had carried her back to the tower. In her own bed and with him by her side she had finally managed to fall asleep. Seeing her this way had been upsetting to say the least. He should never have let her come with him.
It took a couple of days but she managed to recover fully. She still bore some light injuries from her fall but mercifully it was nothing lasting. Even once her sense had fully returned she still insisted he couldn't return to the ruin. She actually wanted to go back, intent on seeing her unlikely friend again but she seemed fearful that if she did, he would too. She thought she hid it well but he knew that she intended to return without him. She didn't lie directly about it but he could still tell. It seemed they were both drawn to the ways of deception.
Ellana sat on the cliff edge singing quietly. Still fearful, she had wanted to stay as far from the ruined doorway as possible. It still bore the blemishes of the dragon's onslaught with scorch marks evident on the stone surfaces. She looked at it suspiciously from her perch. Beside her the dragon languished, rumbling happily like a purring cat. When she had returned it had greeted her with apprehension but with patience it had come around; bounding to her and nuzzling against her as gently as such a massive creature could. It was a strange feeling having something so dangerous behaving so meekly. Ellana reached out a hand to touch the beast's warm skin. It was still soothing.
The dragon's head shot up suddenly and the tendrils at the side of its head twitched. Ellana followed its flashing gaze.
"I should have known I would find you here," Solas remarked from below.
The beast growled in his direction and moved in challenge. Ellana got up from her perch.
"It's okay, it's Solas," she said in a soothing tone but the beast seemed unconvinced. Ellana met Solas and to his surprise kissed him. "See?" she asked, turning back to the dragon. "We like him."
The dragon let out a resigned whine and curled itself back up.
"You should not have come here alone," Solas chastised. "Such reckless behaviour is not…"
"I know. I should be more careful," she interrupted. "I just wanted to see her again and I didn't think you would approve."
"Since when has that ever stopped you?" he joked.
Ellana smiled up at him. "Come, you should meet her properly," she said, leading him by the arm.
The beast raised its head quizzically as they neared but made no moves to resist.
"Are you sure that is wise?" he asked in a worried tone. "She does not seem keen on me and I…"
He trailed off as Ellana placed his hand on the dragon's skin. Satisfying warmth bled in to his palm. The dragon rumbled quietly.
"See? He's quite nice really," Ellana babied.
The dragon let out a happy trill at Ellana's attention. Ellana looked up at Solas with a wide grin.
"Can you believe it? A dragon! I never thought… They were certainly right when they said there was power here!"
"I do not believe that is what they meant vhenan," Solas replied, turning his attention towards the still open doorway.
Ellana let out a long sigh.
"You still want to go back in there don't you?" she uttered. She didn't want to fight anymore.
"There is something undeniable in there; you felt the worst of it. Even if it is as dangerous as it seems I need to know what it is; I need to know if we can use it," he explained.
"And you can't know that without releasing it? That was your intention was it not? Could you not at least study it first, learn all you can before opening it?" she asked worriedly. He looked uneasy. "It endangered my life and the life of our child, Solas; the very least you can do is approach it with caution."
Her words brought back the unpleasant reminder that in her absence this would be so much easier. Reluctantly he nodded.
"As you wish vhenan. For now entry to the ruin and study will have to do but there will likely come a time when that is no longer sufficient. When that time comes hopefully you will trust me."
Ellana didn't say anything, opting instead to run a hand along the dragon's monumental horns.
"Do you still think she can understand you?" Solas asked, taking Ellana's hand in his own.
"I'm certain," she replied with a happy nod.
She pulled him to the side to stand away from the dragon.
"Dragon!" she shouted. The beast looked up at her curiously. "Ise!"
A small stream of bright blue flames puffed out from the dragon's jaws. Solas could feel the heat and was pleased that the beast had not let out a larger stream. The dragon let out a happy trill as Ellana praised her.
"Impressive!" Solas remarked with genuine surprise. The bond the two were already showing was remarkable to say the least.
"I know, isn't it? I really need to think of a name for her; can't be calling her 'dragon' all the time, seems kind of rude! I was thinking of something related to snow. I wanted to honour Ari and given her colour I thought snow the natural part to focus on."
"Areina – 'my little snow dweller'; hardly fitting for a massive beast that lives in sun-scorched cliffs." He thought for a moment. "How about Dhaveira?"
"Hmmm…Dhaveira… 'Snow kissed' isn't it?" Solas nodded. "I like it. What do you think?" Ellana asked, turning to the dragon. "Dhaveira, ise!"
The beast let out a flurry of flames and Ellana clapped in adoration. Solas watched her with a wide smile. She was so beautiful when she was happy.
A/N - Yay Dinky!