A/N - I'm baaaack! Sorry for the delay, guys. I really appreciate anyone who has followed, favourited or left a comment in my absence (or before, for that matter), means a lot! I present to you a ridiculously long chapter of largely gratuitous fluff. Enjoy!
"Solas, hurry up!" Ellana shouted back.
She walked alongside her friends - light and baby-free but she missed them still. A short distance behind with their child in his arms, Solas was clearly reluctant to join her. He made no effort to quicken his pace as he walked amongst what few men they had brought with them.
Shivra smirked away to herself. "Fucking coward. Still can't handle us, can he?"
"I'm pretty sure he can handle you lot…" Ellana started with her own smirk. "The near constant swearing?" Shivra's expression darkened. "Not so much. He has a thing about swearing in front of Emi…"
"Well that's just stupid," Shivra interjected angrily. "I mean, she's going to hear it at some point." She turned to Ellana accusingly. "You swear all the time!"
"That's…neither here nor there… Anyway, what does it matter? He can walk back there if he likes!" Ellana made sure to shout the last part loud enough so he could hear.
"He's probably just nervous about meeting your mother," Lis added from her other side. "If she's anything like you - I know I would be…"
"Yeah, that's going to go really well!" Lori mocked with a laugh. "'Hello there, very traditional Dalish woman who probably has anger issues. I am the man who is screwing your daughter – made very obvious by this little wailing result of said screwing. No, we have not undertaken the bonding and in actual fact, I have convinced your daughter to pretty much abandon tradition entirely. Did I mention I am also Fen'Harel?'" With the help of the others, she descended in to giggles.
Ellana glowered at them all. "That is not funny!"
But they kept on giggling. Ellana could not help but be annoyed by their joking attitude but more than that, she was annoyed at herself for not even considering that Solas might be afraid. She slowed to a stop, making sure to shoo her friends on when they stopped too.
"Is all well, vhenan?" Solas asked once he caught up to her.
Ellana took a moment to greet her child before speaking, "Fine but I wanted to check in with how you are doing."
The request hung uncomfortably in the air.
"How I am doing?" he asked, seeking clarification that she doubted he actually needed.
She fixed her eyes to his but he remained staring down at their child. "I just… I wanted to know if you had any worries, about meeting my mother that is, that you might like to share?"
Encouraging him to relinquish his thoughts so often felt like a game of chess – strategic, slow and at times, unforgiving. He met her probing with an equally questioning look but gradually it turned assured.
"You need not concern yourself, vhenan; I am well prepared if that is what worries you."
She let out a frustrated sigh knowing she had lost the game with only the first move.
Abandoning subtlety, she chose to take a more direct approach, "Bullshit!" He glared at her for the swear word. "You are terrified - admit it."
He stared blankly at her, an eyebrow raised only slightly. "I have fought in too many wars, seen things that are impossible to imagine, torn the very world apart but none of those things did I truly fear. Do you know why?"
"No, enlighten me," she dismissively added, still watching him intently.
"I knew they were my burden to bear." He finally met her gaze. "If the worst happens and your mother despises me – I can live with that. It is certainly not the first time and it will not be the last but it would hurt you. That is my concern." Just as her eyes widened at the unexpected revelation, he downturned his head again. "This is a first for me, vhenan, and I… I have never allowed my care for one person to affect how I behave around others. It is an uncomfortable feeling and I am unfamiliar with it."
"I would love nothing more than for my mother to like you and I suppose…in a way...that does mean if she did not, I would be hurt but it would not change how I feel about you," she slowly replied, watching hopefully for a reaction. "If she were to take a dislike to you, it would only be because she does not know you and that comes with time, Solas. I don't want you to behave differently or hide who you are; I want her to love the actual you."
At last, he met her hopeful eyes but his remained doubting. "A Dalish woman loving Fen'Harel - that is a rather profane concept in your tradition, is it not?"
She waved a hand in front of his face with a wide, mocking grin. "Hello? Dalish woman who birthed Fen'Harel's child standing right in front of you…"
He rolled his eyes. "That is different…"
"It really is not. If you can turn my views around so well that she..." Ellana gestured to her daughter. "…happened, then I think you can endear yourself to my mother. Do not tell her I said this but we are actually very similar. She is not a 'blind follower' type of person, especially not when faced with irrefutable proof."
"But how would I even start…"
"Oh no, I'm telling her," she interrupted with a laugh.
He shook his head. "Would she not prefer to hear it from the source? It seems cowardly…"
"No, I know my mother," she interrupted yet again. "Better I do the explaining and you just focus on being your charming self." She shot him a smile. "Worry not, my love, I'll make sure to mention that you wanted to tell her yourself but I insisted. Happy?"
The corners of his mouth turned upwards ever so slightly. "More so but…" He trailed off.
"But what?"
He shifted his daughter to the other shoulder. "You said she was similar to you and that suggests she may be somewhat quick to anger…"
Much to his surprise, she laughed. "Just throw the baby at her and run, that's my plan."
He stopped abruptly to stare at her, wide-eyed.
"I am not serious!" she said with another laugh. "Although, maybe…in a way…" She sighed, pulling him gently back in to stride beside her. "All my mother ever wanted from me was children to adore. She never said it directly but... If nothing else, she'll certainly love you for giving her that."
He touched a hand to his sleeping daughter's head. "So no literal throwing but a reminder now and again cannot hurt?"
"Precisely," she replied as she snuggled in to his side, actually comfortable given his plain clothes. "You catch on quick."
He seemed satisfied enough but his expression little by little turned grave again. Observing his melancholy, Ellana wished he would just offer his thoughts without her having to prompt. He caught her gaze and grimaced.
"While your mother is a concern, our situation is equally so," he finally said. "Orlais is one of the last places I would wish to be, considering what we did to them."
"I know but it cannot be helped." She exhaled crossly. "They just had to travel west; any other direction would have been fine but no…"
"Fear not, vhenan," he interrupted, turned decidedly confident. "Nothing we cannot handle."
Ellana fell uncomfortably silent at his side. While the potential dangers did concern her it was not that which had her so quiet. Over the last few days, she had ruminated over what Solas had told her in the Fade and the truth she was convinced he was avoiding. She had intended to keep quiet until this task was done but it was proving more difficult than she had thought. She eyed him carefully as she pondered how to phrase her question, only to see he too was watching her.
"You are troubled," he stated, no hint of a question in his tone.
Her eyes flitted away and then back to his again. "I have a question…about your people and their relationship with spirits…"
She felt his arm tense beneath her grasp but his expression remained neutral. During her ponderings she had become fairly certain that she was correct in this regard and his reaction, small but telling, only seemed to endorse it.
"What about them?" he slowly replied.
"Mythal." As soon as she uttered the name, his neutrality faltered for the briefest of moments. "You said a spirit bound with Flemeth and gave her Mythal's power…a power that you then took. You see - that to me seems wrong… Mages - at least in the traditional sense – do not take power from one another so directly. I mean if they could, any mage might kill many and come out of it all-powerful. No, you took something from Flemeth that increased your power exponentially and ended Mythal as a result. What you took was not the actual power, it was the source…"
"Stop, Ellana," he interrupted, pulling himself free of her grasp and holding his stirring daughter closer to his chest. "Yes, what you are saying…you are…"
She kept on going, not needing his verification anymore, "That's the reason you didn't tell me; not some shit about me being incapable of handling the information – you just didn't want to tell me you're an abomination!"
"Can you blame me? You were bound not to take it well…"
She interrupted again, hurt this time, "No, you can fuck right off. How long has it been now? A year at least? No, more than that… At what point have I ever questioned that you are you? What you did, it has not changed you and that is all that matters to me. You have more than proven that I know far from everything but do not think me senseless. I'm mad not because of what you did, Solas, but because you underestimated me and saw fit not to trust me as a result…"
"I do trust you, vhenan, you know that…" he tried, a pleading hand to her side.
She pulled away from him. "Fine then, not trust but a part of you still clearly expects me to be just as closed-minded as everyone else you have met in this world. You should know me better than that. I have my views but they can change - as you have proven yourself! If you had just explained this to me then I would have understood!"
"I…!" he started, argumentative but trailing off in to silence. Emmaera gave off a small cry but fell silent too as he comforted her. "Vhenan, I am sorry. There is no explanation I can offer, nothing… I should have trusted that you would understand." He brought a hand to his head, expression pained. "For the sake of clarity – yes, I took the spirit that was bound to the Witch and thus I am, as you would call it, an abomination. Doing so granted me the power I now have, the power to take us this far…"
Curiosity overtook Ellana's eyes, glinting with wonder. "What's it like?" She barely paused for breath. "Does it make you feel different? Does it speak to you?"
"Yes and no," he replied, the beginnings of a smile forming at the sight he loved - her inquisitorial nature winning out over all else. "Spirits that have been bound to a being for ages become a part of them; she is more like Mythal than anything. Her time with the Witch of the Wilds left her surprisingly used to the trials of this world. It is…quiet, as spirits often were in my time – content to experience and understand without the need to invoke themselves. I still feel the pull of her will at times. Fortunately, Sulevin aligns well with my needs so it is quite helpful…"
"Sulevin? Purpose?"
"Yes. Ideal really…as if she knew I would need it all along…"
Ellana surveyed him out of the corner of her eye. She had always wondered about his relationship with Mythal. The way he spoke about her, it seemed like there was more to it than she knew. Even still, she got the distinct impression that it was not something he wished to discuss and fought the urge to ask in the hope that one day he might see fit to share it on his own.
"I cannot argue that it has certainly helped and I understand that it is markedly unlike what I have seen of abominations," she answered as she took his free hand gently back in her own. "Don't ever doubt that you can share these sorts of things with me. I know I can be a bit…'quick to anger' but I hope you know that there is nothing you could tell me that I would not at least try and understand?"
He gazed down on her thoughtfully. "I do know vhenan."
She smiled as he laced his fingers with hers. "As long as it isn't something that will separate you from me, I'll be fine."
His face fell for a fraction of a second. Ellana had another question, one she had planned to ask but she abandoned it in that moment. She had wanted to know what had made him finally tell her all of this after so long but the second his face fell, she knew that the answer would likely not pass willingly from his lips. She turned away from him to hide her own telling look. By the time she turned back, she had replaced her trepidation with a smirk.
"Ah well…Mother will probably have murdered us both in a fit of rage and ran off with our daughter before the day is up so..."
Solas groaned. "Oh, vhenan…did you have to remind me?"
"Definitely," she replied, tugging on his arm playfully. "Seeing you nervous is a rare treat."
Gentle teasing of Solas had been enjoyable for a time; even more so, when he had allowed her friends to join in but Ellana's own apprehension quickly took over. Her mother was going to be sceptical about everything, and justly so, but Ellana was convinced that she would like Solas. Her real worry was whether her mother would like who she had become.
"Ooo, Elves! Finally!" Shivra exclaimed, running out in front of them all.
Figures in the distance and soon, makeshift tents came in to view. Their scouts had arrived ahead of them and seemed to have congregated with others. Solas led her in that direction.
"Are they ours?" Ellana asked, presuming she already knew the answer. "Are they the ones who found her?"
Solas nodded as they came to the group. Near as they were, she could tell they were definitely not refugees simply from their manner. Ellana turned to those she did not recognise from the journey.
"Thank you - all of you - for helping find my mother," she said with feeling.
The only female, likely the one charged with taking Ellana's name, smiled up at her. "Anything for our Lady," she said before she turned to little Emmaera, still in her father's arms. "And our Child."
Ellana disliked being referred to like a possession, particularly when it involved her daughter but she appreciated the sentiment nonetheless. She nodded to the elf, smiling warmly and she seemed excitedly pleased by this small gesture.
"What is the situation?" Solas asked, abrupt in his disinterest of anything else.
Even with their plain clothing, there were those amongst the refugees that seemed eager to examine the new arrivals. A small crowd formed as more came to see what the outside world had brought them this time.
"All is quiet for now but the refugees are starting to gain attention," one of the elves they had travelled with replied. "Val Chevin has had a recent spate of crimes and there are already whisperings that the elves are to blame."
Solas's expression darkened and he handed his daughter to Ellana. "But no action thus far?"
The elf sighed. "None that we know of but our view is limited. We have no agents within the city and…"
Ellana's awareness of the conversation gradually tapered away as the crowd grew around them. She did not know what it was but something about them had to be rather distinct to be attracting so much attention. People kept coming and every so often, some would leave as though going to tell others. It did not take long for what she was anxious about to happen.
"Ellana?!" came a call from her side.
Solas stopped talking immediately as Ellana's eyes darted across the faces of the gathered strangers. One amongst the many was so familiar that it made her expression crumple. She had broken through the crowd; determined as she had always been, age never stopping her. Absentmindedly, Ellana handed Emmaera back to Solas and ran out towards the throng. The embrace that met her was so tight she could hardly breathe but she could still smell the scent that no child could ever forget - the scent of her mother.
"How?" was all her mother seemed capable of saying.
Ellana had wriggled free just enough to regain the ability to breathe. She tried in vain to struggle for some more room.
"Mamae, you know if you let me go I will not simply disappear?" Ellana murmured, still trying to pry herself loose.
"I should never have let you go in the first place!" she replied. She abruptly released her to slap her arm. "What took you so long?! I waited and waited and then I got a letter from those humans and they didn't even seem to know where you were!"
Ellana turned sheepish. "Mamae, I'm sorry but I… Life kind of got away with me…"
"Not an excuse! I am your mother! I have not seen you in years!" She stopped suddenly, gawping at her daughter as if she were seeing her for the first time. "What have you done to your hair?! What happened to your face?!"
Ellana ran a nervous hand through her two-tone hair. "I had to dye it and it's taking a while to grow out and the Vallaslin…well… Mamae, there is something I need to…"
Her mother squeezed her in to another embrace. "I do not care what you look like - knowing you are safe is enough!"
Ellana leaned in to the embrace and the comforting smell enveloped her once more.
Pulling away slightly, her mother let out a small gasp. "Who is that?"
Ellana followed her wide-eyed stare to Solas - surveying them with a grin. She turned back to her mother.
She was gesturing to the baby in his arms. "Is that…?"
Ellana ran and gently took Emmaera from Solas's waiting arms. She skipped back over to her mother wearing a cat-like grin.
"Mamae…" she started, fluttering her fingers so the little one gazed up. "This is Emmaera…my daughter…"
Her mother's joyful screech interrupted anymore she had to say. She came forward and took the child without any hesitation as those nearby recovered from the startlingly loud sound.
"Oh! I knew it! She looks just like you did!" her mother happily shrieked, bouncing the baby in her arms.
Ellana took the opportunity to look back at Solas and mouth the words 'I told you so'. One corner of his mouth quirked up in reply. She turned to her mother to see she was looking right at him too.
"Is that…?" she tried to ask, voice still thick with emotion.
With a hand outstretched, Ellana bid Solas to join them. He appeared so at ease but she alone could tell otherwise. When he reached her, she grasped a hold of his arm to steady them both.
"Solas, this is Siona Lavellan - my mother. Mamae, this is Solas. He is…" Her voice broke uncomfortably as she struggled with what best to call him. "…the father of my child and…my love."
Solas's eyes widened slightly at the last part but regained their confident look. Her mother, however, narrowed her eyes - picking up on what Ellana dreaded she would. About certain things, Siona was very traditional and at times, insistent. Relationships, as Ellana had learned first-hand, was one of those things. Solas was not bonded to her and she refused to lie but she hoped that her mother might let it slide. Ellana worried for a moment, her mother's narrow stare still fixed on Solas. She handed the baby back to Ellana and forced him in to one of her crushing embraces.
"It is such a pleasure to meet you!" she squealed, as Solas appeared to be fighting the impulse to flame his way out of this one. "You must be some man! Getting my daughter to love you is certainly no mean feat!" She finally released him. "I was starting to think this day would never come!"
Ellana glared at her and hiked her own daughter up against her shoulder. "Thank you for that, Mother."
"Oh darling," Siona purred, reaching out a hand to touch her daughter's cheek. "You know I love you but you can be rather difficult at times…"
Solas smirked and Ellana, nose wrinkled in annoyance, slapped him across the shoulder. Her mother looked on with pity.
"Poor boy…" she lamented, before turning her attention to Ellana and taking her roughly by the arm. "You may wrangle and abuse him as you see fit in your home but not in front of your mother! This poor man is the father to my only grandchild and I will not see him harmed!"
Unable to contain it, Solas let out a laugh. Both women turned to him with glares and the laughter died instantly.
"Oh dear…" he whispered sheepishly.
There had been little more time for introductions before Siona wrangled them away for some food. They had gotten away with pleasantries up until the moment they sat down but Ellana saw that they were headed in to dangerous territory far sooner than she had hoped. Her mother started proceedings, updating Ellana on everything the Clan had done since she had left but it was a short story by comparison. The events in Wycombe had taken the lives of many and that significantly shortened what there was to tell. Only five of her original clan-mates remained, only three of which she knew well. It was painful to hear it all again but Ellana had been ready for it. In reality, it was a miracle anyone survived so she took it as a blessing. Once her story ended, Ellana started with her own. She decided to go with the easy option first and recount everything that had happened during her time as Inquisitor. Solas helped her along, telling the story in a strange sort of tandem but all the while avoiding the points Ellana had insisted he avoid. They reached the moment just before the end, the two of them in love and the evil all but defeated. Of course, the story did not end there but she had no desire to tell her mother Solas abandoned her - at least not as one of the first things she was ever going to know about him.
"So then when did this one come along?" Siona asked, gently rocking the baby in her arms.
She was regarding Ellana carefully; as if she knew there was something more being held back. She always seemed to know and Ellana wondered if she too would come to know Emmaera just as well.
"She was a more recent development," Ellana replied. She paused, searching for the proper wording a beat too long. "Solas and I were…apart…for some years and it was not until we found one another again that…"
"Apart? Why ever so?" her mother irritatingly interjected.
Ellana could feel herself fidgeting beneath the scrutiny. "Yes…um… You know how life can be…it's…"
His annoyance palpable, Solas interrupted her before she even had a chance, "The point Ellana is so graciously skirting around…"
She had practically forgotten he was there, she was so nerve-wracked but still managed to turn to him with a glare.
He kept on regardless, "…is that I left her to the Inquisition for a number of years having lied to her about who I was throughout the entirety of our relationship."
Ellana somehow managed to resist the overwhelming urge to bring her palm crashing in to her forehead. She had not discussed this issue with Solas, fearing he would not take it well. At the time he had been so willing to deceive but now, it was as if he would accept nothing short of bashing himself over the head with his mistakes. She wished she had listened to the part of her that predicted this exact scenario. She thought uselessly of some way to reduce the fallout as her mother's eyes grew progressively narrower.
"It was not like that...I…!" she tried desperately.
Her mother's roar cut her off, "Enough, Ellana!" She passed Emmaera back to her as she rose to her feet. "You mean to tell me that not only have you failed to bond with my little girl but you also abandoned her for years?!"
Solas barely even flinched. "Regrettably, yes, that is the short version."
Siona stood with fury written across her features but before she could act, an unwelcome elf popped through the doorway.
"My Lord, apologies for the interruption…"
"Not now!" Solas shouted back and the man scurried away with fearful haste.
"Yes now," Ellana sternly added, also getting to her feet. "Take our daughter and go see to what our people need." He looked defiantly reluctant but she was in no mood for his argument. "Now, Solas."
With only a moment more of annoyance, he was gone. Ellana sat back down and faced her mother.
"Sit," she ordered and to her surprise, her mother did. "First, no we are not bonded to one another." She raised a hand as her mother made to argue. "While I know that is what you would have wanted before our child was born, it was never something that even entered my mind. Selfish, I know, but the truth of the matter is the tradition never held much importance for me. Solas is not Dalish…"
"So he is a city elf?" Siona interrupted, looking eagerly curious all of a sudden.
Ellana sighed. "No, not a city elf…"
"Then what?"
Ellana brought her head to her hands, resigned to what was to come.
Solas had not wanted to leave but staying would have only ended poorly. The whole exchange reminded him too much of previous exchanges he had suffered with the Dalish. It angered him and likely would only have continued to do so. If anyone could handle her mother, it was Ellana and he just had to trust in her. The scout who had interrupted met him with wise caution as he emerged. It was rare for Solas to lose his composure with any of his soldiers but when he did, it still had a noticeable effect.
From what they had found out, it seemed Val Chevin was likely to move on the camp sooner rather than later. Their actions had only decreased the Orlesian's tolerance of the elves and it seemed exceedingly likely that they would see no problem with exterminating any that could potentially join Fen'Harel's army.
"Until it happens, we do nothing," Solas ordered blankly, attention focused on his daughter sleeping soundly in his arms. "They know not that we are here and with any luck, it will remain that way. We can hope that any action they may take will occur long after we have departed."
It was a cold way to look at it but while he did care for the refugees' plight, he did not see it as his concern. He was certain Ellana would see it differently but he would deal with that when it came.
Before the elves could reply to his command an exceptionally loud shout erupted from the tent he had just left, "HE'S WHAT?!"
He sighed, gesturing to the elves to attend to their tasks and leave him be. This was going to be a trying day.
"Mamae, I have seen it with my own eyes. It is the truth!" Ellana insisted with her head in her hands.
"It cannot be…it is just not possible," her mother breathed, far quieter than she had been.
"I am not the only one - there are others who would attest to it, many others. There is nothing more I can say but you will see for yourself – it is true."
Ellana meant to say more but a sound from behind startled her in to submission. Her mouth hung open a fraction when she realised it was Solas. A part of her was not surprised to see him back so soon; the effort to resist re-entering the tent must have been overwhelming. It was, after all, him they were discussing so intensely. Ellana fought the urge to rise and meet him. Solas could be unpredictable but she trusted that he would know what to do, at least as much as she did. Siona Lavellan scrutinised him beneath her stare as she rose. She neared him and Ellana started to rise too but halted when Solas gave her a look.
"The Dread Wolf, it is just not possible… I cannot believe it…" Siona uttered.
She was so close now that Solas could likely see every detail of her expression. She did not attempt to hide her feelings as Ellana did. The anger and indignation was gone from her eyes, replaced entirely by disbelief.
"Your daughter did not believe it at first," he finally said, closing his eyelids slowly. "But just like her…" the air crackled and snapped around him as he opened his now glowing eyes "…you will and I am sorry for that." The glow evaporated from his eyes and the air calmed. "I only kept myself from your daughter to free her from the path I must take and it still brings me sorrow to know that I failed." He gazed down upon his own daughter. "But it is done and I promise you - there is nothing I would not do to give them the life they deserve. I hope you will believe that at least…"
The old woman's expression had softened, focus changed to the child in his arms. She nodded and gestured with a hand back toward her daughter. Ellana allowed herself a brief sigh of relief.
"Sit," she said in a voice that was notably softer as well. "We have much to discuss."
She remained, allowing him to take his seat first. Ellana smiled softly at him as he passed and mouthed the words 'thank you' beneath her mother's notice.
"So…" Siona started as she took her seat once again. "I admit I am still sceptical about the truth of what you are telling me…but I will put that aside for now."
Ellana reached over to Solas, her hand finding the soft skin of her daughter. He smiled and took it a step further, handing the child to her mother so that she could appreciate her fully. Siona watched the exchange with her own warmth.
"You are happy," she added. "That I can see as plain as anything…"
Ellana's expression crumpled slightly, brow wrinkling up. "I am, Mamae…" She turned to Solas and then to her child, beaming. "…I truly am."
Siona sighed very deliberately. "Then… I cannot complain too much. Although I do wish you would consider the bonding ceremony, it might not be your tradition but…"
"Mother!" Ellana interrupted loudly.
"Fine! I'll give it a rest," the old woman relented, outreaching a hand to comfort the child now fussing in Ellana's arms. "But I do still have questions." She turned to Solas. "This life you wished to keep her out of; from what little she has told me and I have seen - it seems you live it now…"
"Mamae…" Ellana started but stopped when Solas placed a hand reassuringly on her thigh.
"Perhaps you will be more willing to tell me about it," Siona finished, with a grateful bow of her head in his direction.
He regarded Ellana for a moment before slowly nodding. "Very well. What would you ask of me?"
Ellana was exhausted by the time they left the tent. The conversation had been one of the most challenging she had ever experienced and coming from her, that was saying something. At first, she had been concerned when Solas butted in but he more than made up for any worry she may have had. She admired how he somehow always managed to do that - appear and save the day. Siona had barraged him with questions but every time he answered them concisely and with surprising honesty. Obviously, he kept the full extent of their plans under wraps but otherwise, he had been uncharacteristically open with her mother. She now knew the danger they were in; the trials of the life they had built but still seemed to see the merits.
After all was said, Siona had wanted to remain in the tent to tidy up so they had at least a few minutes respite. They breathed the outside air deeply.
"Well…that was not as bad as I anticipated," Solas remarked, stretching out his arms.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Ellana exclaimed with a playful shove. "That was terrible!"
He pulled her in to an embrace and she drank in his scent. "We both survived and she seemed rather accepting in actuality." He smiled down on her. "You were right; she is like you – far more open-minded than I ever imagined a Dalish woman could be." Taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he encouraged her to look at him. "But she would have to be to raise a remarkable woman like you."
She kissed him softly.
"Wolfie! You survived!" shouted Shivra's boorish voice as the whole lot of them rounded on the couple seemingly out of nowhere.
"How was it?" Lis asked with a worried expression.
Ellana's eyes remained firmly fixed on Solas. "Not that bad, I guess."
"You took fucking ages," Shivra added, earning a simultaneous glare from both of them.
"Language," Solas chastised automatically.
Siona's voice as she finally exited the tent interrupted them all, "Ellana, I was wondering…" She petered off at the sight of their company.
Ellana tore herself away from her love and placed a hand reassuringly on her mother's back.
"Mother," she started as the girls instinctually formed a line. "These are my friends and most trusted soldiers…" Shivra's eyebrows rose at that. "This is Miris and Lori, they were both Dalish before."
"Hahren," Lori remarked, as she took Siona's hand appreciatively.
"This is Shivra," Ellana went on. Shivra bowed ridiculously. "She is…well…Shivra and this…" Ellana stopped at the last, inadvertently showing her favouritism "…this is Lis."
"Thank you all for looking after my girl," Siona said, taking Lis's hand as though sensing her daughter's feeling.
"It is our pleasure!" Shivra chimed in; cut off by a small, well-placed kick from Solas.
She turned back angrily as though she were going to hit him but recoiled when she saw whom it was. Ellana stifled a giggle.
Siona regarded her with judgement but a slight sparkle of amusement remained in her eyes. "Ellana, I was wondering if you would be interested in me caring for your little one for the night. I would love the chance to spend some time with my granddaughter and I am sure that you would enjoy some time alone…"
"Gods, yes!" Ellana replied, slightly too eagerly. "I mean…if you would not mind, that would be so appreciated."
Siona raised her eyebrows knowingly but broke out in to a slow grin. "Of course. What are families for?"
Ellana grabbed her mother in to a one-armed embrace. "Thank you, Mamae!" She handed over Emmaera carefully and then skipped off to Solas's side. "Thank you so much!"
"It is my pleasure, da'len," her mother added.
Ellana grabbed Solas's reluctant arm. "Run, before Emi starts crying and she changes her mind."
The sound of the wind rustling through the trees was all Ellana could hear. She kept her eyes closed so that she could focus on just the sound. Somehow, she had managed to quiet all the thoughts in her mind. Even if it was only for a short while, she felt like she needed to just enjoy the moment. Solas's hand brushed the edge of her hip as his chest rose and fell slowly beneath her. She sighed deeply and opened her eyes to the sky reaching out infinite above them. She turned her head so she could see him and blew out air against his chin.
"Vhenan'ara, are you falling asleep?" she asked quietly.
"No…" he murmured unconvincingly.
She blew more air at him and he turned down to her at last, placing a finger over her lips.
"Stop that," he ordered, stern but undeniably smiling.
Smirking to herself, she turned away and laid her head against him. "Mmm…this is nice…"
His hand travelled up to her neck, grazing lightly against her skin. "It is indeed. Unexpected, as much of this day has been…"
"Unexpected? Do you mean my mother?"
A finger had found her lips, sliding back and forth along them. "It all – your mother, you…"
She turned herself over so she was facing him, brow wrinkled in question. "Me?"
"Yes - you, my love," he uttered, hand compelling her face in close to his. "It seems no matter what burdens I bring, you are so accepting, so open, so willing…"
She kissed him hungrily. "I like that last one... Do you think the tents are ready yet?"
He chuckled beneath her. "You truly have a deviant mind."
She sat up and glared playfully down on him.
"I suppose there is only one way to find out," he said, sitting up himself and offering her a hand.
Ignoring the hand and using his shoulder for purchase instead, she rose and he followed on after.
"Shall we?" she asked, offering him a hand this time.
Fingers entwined, they made their way through the forest. They had not wandered far. Solas had been insistent that they remain within shouting distance of their daughter but neither was in any real hurry to get back. It was rare for them to have such time alone, even less that was not fixated purely on their work. It was enjoyable going back to how they once were but even still; she could not help feeling excitement at the prospect of something more. Before they had journeyed from their home, she had packed whatever supplies she could get her hands on. They had so much and the refugees likely had so little; she wanted to give them everything she could. This generosity had been met with complete joy and the elves insisted on throwing some sort of celebration in return. While Solas seemed reluctant, Ellana was delighted. It had been so long since she had a chance to celebrate.
By the time they did make it back to the camp, evening was setting in.
"There they are!" Lis exclaimed, looking suspiciously drained.
Ellana quickly understood why. Amongst the faces of her friends, she saw others; two in particular she recognised well. She did not have long to process before arms wrapped around her.
"Ellana! It is so good to see you."
His touch was so familiar, but that thought in itself was uncomfortable. As his hands travelled up her waist, she pulled away.
"Sam, it's good to see you are well," she uttered, feeling her cheeks starting to burn.
She glanced back at Solas. A small, blonde elf had come to her side as a welcome distraction and touched a hand to her cheek.
"Ellie, I…" the girl started, tears welling.
Ellana outreached a hand to touch hers. "I am sorry, Nesa, for everything… Mamae told me of all the people we lost and I… Words cannot express my sorrow."
Tears started to fall from the girl's eyes, blonde hair obscuring part of her face. "I am sorry too," she said weakly. "But words cannot express the joy I feel to see you again."
Ellana pulled her in to a warm embrace.
"You must tell us everything," Sam interrupted. "We heard all about your exploits with the humans! It sounds fascinating!"
He took her hand to lead her towards the other elves. She turned back to Solas and gave him what she hoped was an apologetic look.
"I am sorry I did not get a chance to introduce you but… That way we could leave faster…at least," Ellana was explaining in the privacy of their tent.
Solas did not really care about introductions. She had sat amongst her former people for a while, reminiscing and telling of her exploits whilst Solas had remained on the periphery. He did have questions but the blonde boy and the closeness he so obviously flaunted with Ellana was of particular interest.
"People from your clan, I presume?" he asked carefully.
Ellana was changing for the coming gathering but she stopped to consider her response.
"I grew up with both of them," she started. "Nesa is a few years younger than me so I suppose she was not really such a big figure in my life but she is Samran's sister and…well…we were much closer in age and spent more time together…"
Solas rolled his eyes as she trailed off. He had seen the way the boy looked at her, held her. He knew exactly what she was skirting around but resented having to pull it out of her.
As he was about to do just that, she surprised him, "Samran was my first romantic partner…in more ways than one. Kind of like a childhood sweetheart's sort of thing." She stared down at the rumpled clothing in her hand. "My mother was convinced that we would end up together but, I don't know…I just… He was such a sweet boy and I felt like I was pretending to be something I was not. I ended it and I don't think he ever fully understood why." She finally looked up at Solas. "Even after, he just kept acting like we were inevitably going to be together. I wanted so much more and I… I just wanted to be who I was."
She cast her eyes downwards again, almost ashamed. Solas got up and came over to her, a hand to her jawbone forcing her gaze up to him. He kissed her lightly.
"I love who you are," he whispered against her lips.
"I know you do," she replied with a smile. She started to dress again as he watched with a decided smirk. "It does not bother you?"
"Having one of your former lovers in the picture? No, it does not bother me," he remarked, a hand sliding down her back to the base of her spine. "Although I must admit, I am envious of the rather significant position he holds."
"Aww, my poor love," she lamented for him sarcastically. "I can tell you categorically that that 'significant position' only meant that the entire thing was something of a clumsy mess. Definitely not worthy of the esteem I place on your work."
Not enjoying her tone, he slapped her behind. She barely reacted to the gesture as she turned and grasped his face between her hands.
"I could have touched a thousand souls, my love, but none of them would ever have felt like the home you are to me," she purred before compelling him in to a long, intense kiss.
He ended it with another lighter smack. "Get dressed, vhenan. We are going to be late."
The night was still young but it felt like it had been so much longer. While Ellana loved these sorts of festivities, Solas could never really get used to them. The time he spent with her was undeniably enjoyable but the rest just bored him. Even still, he saw no reason to burden her with his apathy. It was natural that she would want to spend some time with her friends and that gave him a perfect chance to escape. A distance away from the centre of it all, he stood alone. Others more interested in conversation than the music milled around but even with the noise they brought, he did not want to go further. He knew she would miss him, given time, and he wanted to be nearby when that happened.
"Hey," a voice piped up beside him but it was only Shivra. "You not in the mood for it either?"
He nodded to her in greeting. "No, just tired." He regarded her for a moment. "I am sorry he could not come. While he detests such things, I know you would have appreciated an outing. It is my fault; I place so much on his shoulders."
"It is your fucking fault," she started angrily but quickly, her demeanour softened. "But also his for being so damn good at what he does…"
Solas smiled, unable to contain it. "I will see to it that he makes time for such an excursion in the future." Shivra's eyes widened in surprise but then turned doubting. "He will listen if I insist; I am, after all, 'the one who can burn him alive' - to use his words."
"Yeah you are!" she exclaimed with a laugh, slapping a hand to his back in a manner Solas found rather unwelcome. "You're alright, you know? As a person, I mean… You were always fucking great as a leader, given all the explosions and that…"
"I will take that as a compliment, I think," he replied, brow furrowed.
She grinned at him and he felt an unusual sense of endearment towards this bizarre girl. He considered it for a while as her expression darkened beneath his notice.
"Oh fuck - it's that prick again," she groaned.
Solas followed her gaze and saw the blonde, bobbing head of Ellana's former lover – the somewhat lacking Sam. He seemed to be coming their way in the company of other elves and they looked to be inebriated. Solas sighed.
The boy appeared thoroughly amused with himself. "Ah! If it isn't Ellana's new man…"
"I am going to stop you there," Solas interrupted, already tired of this idiot.
"Do you have to?" Shivra whined.
He grabbed her arm and skirted around Sam and his elves. "I can see where this is going and you may desire conflict…" He stopped talking instantly as the foolish boy grabbed his other arm.
"Hey! I was talking to you," Sam started pathetically.
Solas turned back, all the while staring at the uninvited hand.
"Damn, kid…" Shivra breathed. "You've done it now."
A voice in the back of Solas's mind willed him to destroy this ant of a being but he crushed it down in to the periphery. Sam slowly released his arm. Solas met the foolish boy's now nervous gaze, trying and failing to contain his half-smile.
"Know your limits," he commented, eyes snapping in to glow and a fireball forming in a casually produced hand.
The boy's eyes widened with satisfying fear. Just as quickly as it had come on, Solas's eyes returned to their normal state and the fireball vanished in to thin air. He grabbed Shivra again and led her away.
"Suck on that, asshole!" she shouted back.
Once they had made it far enough away that Solas was confident Shivra could not start trouble, he released her. She grinned widely at him.
"Have I ever told you you're awesome?" she insisted, shoving him playfully in the shoulder.
He rolled his eyes yet again. "Yes…too much in fact." He started away from her. "I am going to find Ellana."
"Yeah you are!" she shouted after him. "Nothing quite like sex after dominating some bastard!"
"Not at all what I meant," he shouted back.
Ellana proved difficult to find. There were many people in the centre of the festivities and, knowing her, she would likely be in the very heart of it. After a while he gave up, coming to the outer edges of the dancing crowd to take a breather. He thought he probably should tell Ellana what happened before anyone else could but she was making it pretty damn difficult for him. Eventually his eyes fell on Miris, also standing outside of the fray and very visible given her height.
"Where is Ellana?" he asked once he reached her.
She smiled knowingly. Miris was an odd one, especially when she had been drinking but she was probably the easiest for him to get along with. She shared his love of knowledge for the pure sake of it and that - he could appreciate. Not so much, when she had been drinking - drunk, she only had eyes for one thing.
"Just follow the eyes, my boy," she purred, appearing together by the standards of most drunks but so far from herself that she clearly was. "They're all staring at her…although some of them could be for Lis, she does have the rack for it…"
"Must you," Solas interrupted, wincing at her crudeness.
"Not everyone can be the eternal gentleman like you," she slurred. "Seriously…follow the eyes."
"Including yours?" he slyly added.
"I can appreciate a thing of beauty, can't I?" Miris replied, smirking at him. She turned away and pointed out in to the crowd. "And there it is…"
Solas's eyes finally fell on Ellana through a gap in the throng. She was in the thick of it all, friends by her side. The clothing she had finally selected was by no means revealing but as she swayed back and forth, tantalising glimpses of her midriff flashed out from behind the moving fabric and the curve of her breast became all the more apparent. The sight was one that would naturally draw attention. He did not know which but she seemed utterly oblivious or uncaring towards the myriad of eyes on her. Her hair dancing about her and mouthing the song's words, she was in her own world. It took some time before Ellana noticed him watching. She smirked, turning and swaying very deliberately with interest only in his gaze. Once the song ended, she looked almost disappointed that her teasing had to stop. She was entirely unaware of how much more it had truly meant to him.
"Ara sa'lath!" she exclaimed as she reached him, wrapping her arms around his neck and lifting herself from the ground. "I missed you!"
She pulled him in for a passionate kiss and he could immediately taste the alcohol on her. He lowered her to her feet and looked lovingly down upon her. So suddenly that she shrieked, he lifted her up and over his shoulder.
"You are mine for the rest of the night," he ordered sternly.
"Solas, put me down!" she whined but he knew she wanted the exact opposite.
As the jealous eyes watched, he strode away with her in to the night.
They had not made it far. Ellana did not know what had gotten in to him but she loved every moment of it. Their tent a forgotten dream, the woods was where they ended up. She had flipped herself free of his shoulder long ago, forcing him back towards the trees whilst he offered no resistance. It was not until they reached solitude amongst the shadows that Solas took back the control, pressing her hard in to one of the many tree trunks. She squealed, delighted, as his lips found her neck and his hands found her hips. The bark of the tree pressed painfully in to her back but she did not care. She stopped him just before he found her - a palm pressed to his chest, eyes shining with the stars.
"I love you," she whispered before the Dread Wolf took her entirely.
On the way back to their tent, Ellana made a detour to pick up their daughter. Her mother had fully intended to keep the child for the whole night but the thought of sleeping without her was just a step too far. Her mother had been sleeping but she understood. Despite her age, Siona could still remember what it was like to be a new mother and she was proud of the dedication her daughter was already showing.
Sleeping beside them both was a wonderful feeling that never seemed to lessen. On her side, Ellana lay stroking her daughter's hair. It had been a while since she had slept in a tent. She had grown so used to the comfortable bed that they shared in the tower and thoughts of it now only made the hardness of the ground more apparent. Her mind drifted further to the bed she had left behind at Skyhold. It had been arguably as comfortable at least until it had been broken. She thought back on the morning she had discovered the break. She had spent the night testing the stability of another piece of furniture so she could certainly not be blamed. She had carefully questioned the likely culprits. As one would expect, Iron Bull maintained a straight face throughout but Dorian gave them away with a smirk as he lied. Overarching question answered, Ellana allowed him to believe he had gotten away with it. She had no desire to open up that awkward discussion. Lost in the memories, a wide smile formed across Ellana's lips as she gazed down on her daughter.
"You are just too adorable, vhenan," Solas remarked, stroking her cheek.
She grinned at him and he returned it with a part of mocking to match her own. He downturned his features thoughtfully.
"Vhenan, I…" he started, trailing off.
Turning to him and bringing herself up on to an elbow, she gazed at him expectantly. His eyes met hers and he let out a slight groan.
"There was something…" he tried again unsuccessfully. He groaned again and turned himself fully towards her. "Something I wanted to make clear…"
She waited in the silence. "And that would be…?"
"Your mother…she mentioned your ritual of bonding several times…" he went on, still struggling.
"She did…as she always does…" Ellana prompted yet again.
He looked down at his daughter, uncharacteristically uncomfortable. "Well, I wanted to clarify that I would have no opposition to the idea."
Her brow creased deeply. "But you don't believe in any of that stuff! You said…!"
"I know what I said and I do not need some label dictated by tradition to define how I feel for you" he started sternly but swiftly his look softened. "But if it would bring your mother some happiness, however small, I see no reason to deny her…"
Ellana reached out a hand to his. "You want my mother to be happy? Even if that means you are bound to a Dalish tradition? You?"
Enveloping her hand in his, he smiled. "No, I want you to be happy and I know your mother's wishes factor in to that. The tradition itself means nothing to me and is, quite truthfully, banal compared to the extents I would go for you, vh…"
She was kissing him before he could even finish her endearment. She pulled away, taking his hand between hers.
"You have made it clear you would die for me but somehow, the idea of you of all people being willing to submit to tradition is just…" His kiss interrupted her, just as she had done.
Ellana gazed up at him, resting a hand on his chest. "I do not know if that is truly what I want but…I cannot thank you enough for even offering. I will think on it, my love."
He pulled her in, turning her so her back rested against his chest as they lay.
"Ma vhenas, ma sal'shiral, ma lath, ma vhenan," he uttered, breath warm against her neck. "You are already all these things to me. Another word, no matter the language, changes nothing."
Ellana had not been aware she was dreaming. Some scenario had played out, she could have guessed which from her surroundings but she was in no state to. Her awareness had returned suddenly; much too suddenly and it came with a heavy sense of dread. She had been with people before, she was certain but no one remained. She stood alone, grasslands reaching out beyond her wondering for what purpose she waited. It was dark and she could not see far but she could feel eyes upon her.
"Solas?" she called out uselessly.
She turned in the pervading silence, hopeful but fear rose in her chest. On the crest of the hill behind her, she saw many red eyes piercing the darkness. All those eyes belonged to one being and it was moving toward her. Its hulking black form shook with fur but even that was unnatural – more like smoke following its source. She took a few paces back as her gaze remained transfixed on the beast. It easily gained on her, larger and more terrifying the closer it got, and clearer. She stopped suddenly in her tracks once she saw the pointed ears and realised the monster she had been running from was a wolf.
"Solas?" she asked again, her voice breaking.
But she never heard any reply. Screams forced their way in to her mind and she cowered down to the ground, screaming herself.
Ellana awoke in a cold sweat. At first, she panicked, not knowing where she was but her child fast asleep at her side brought back her sense. She peeled Solas's arm from around her waist and sat up, head in her hands. The details of the dream were lost to her the second she awoke but she remembered the fear and the unwelcome familiarity that came with it. She could not shake the feeling that something in her world was very wrong. She turned down to look at Solas – still somehow fast asleep despite her movements. His expression was so empty.
Ellana left the tent wearing whatever clothing she had managed to find in the darkness. She needed air. Music still played somewhere off in the distance but she did not head towards it. She wandered aimlessly until her tired mind willed her to stop and she slumped down on to the ground with a resounding sigh. She lived for days like these – time with her friends, her daughter and him but they could not last.
"El? What are you doing out here?"
The sudden sound made Ellana jump. She flicked her hair out of her face to see Lis standing over her.
"Are you alright?" Lis carefully asked as she brought herself down to sit at Ellana's side. "I thought you turned in for the night?"
Ellana kept her head bowed from her friend, lest she read the hurt from her eyes. "I was. Couldn't sleep, I guess."
Lis stared at her for an uncomfortably long time. "Well…whatever it is, I'm glad you're up. After everything we've been through I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you, Ellana." She tried to interrupt but Lis was having none of it. "I know you find it hard to see sometimes with everything you've got to worry about but just look around you! Here are people, our people, who had nothing and now just look how happy they are. You did that and I am sure you'll do even more. You won't leave these people behind; it's not in your nature."
Ellana shook her head. "It doesn't matter… None of it matters, Lis…"
Her friend laughed nervously. "Yes it does! We're helping the elven people; we're going to change things…"
"At what cost?" Ellana interrupted quietly. "What if we are helping people, good people, just to cut their lives short for a chance at what we once had? Is that doing good? Is it right to sacrifice everything we have built for the sake of a dream? It doesn't matter what we do now unless we can preserve what we have and I have…I've been a fool. My intentions…they don't matter unless I can…" Lis stared back at her, confusion written across her features. "You can't understand… Lis, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"
The sound of a piercing scream ripped across the camp and brought Ellana to a sudden stop. The gentle music gave way to silence and then the thunderous sound of pounding feet.
"Ellana!" Solas roared.
She was gone, to where it did not matter but he had to find her. The screams had wakened him in a daze. There had been running, that he could hear, and terror - screaming, crashing terror. He could relate. With every moment Ellana was gone from his side a chance that she could become one of those screams, he was already losing his control. Emmaera cried desperately as he lifted her in to his arms. She needed comfort and he swore that somehow, she knew he was not capable of giving it. The second he passed out in to the camp, a person running at full speed bashed straight in to him. He could tell from her smell alone exactly who it was.
"Ellana!" he cried out in relief.
"Solas…" she panted, struggling to catch her breath. "Humans… People dead…"
Without another word, he took her by the arm. His men awaited his arrival a short distance away accompanied by Ellana's comrades. Few other people remained and that was either a good thing or a very bad one.
"What is the situation?" he asked once he reached the familiar faces.
"Val Chevin is moving to purge the elves," the most senior of the scouts explained. "Soldiers attacked people on the outskirts but have yet to move in to the camp proper."
Solas closed his eyes in lamentation. A thought from the darkest part of him scurried across his mind, "Abandon the elves or slaughter the humans. Choose." He scrunched his eyes, willing the thought away. Emmaera cried harder until Ellana took her from him. She paced away a distance to keep the baby's cries from intruding too harshly.
"Ellana's mother…?" he asked, finally gazing over at Lis.
"She is with the other refugees," Miris interrupted in her place.
He turned back to his scouts. "You have already gathered the refugees?"
"Yes," the elf replied, pointing toward rock formations just behind them. "In the caves to the south."
Solas's mind was racing but he still managed a relieved sigh. "Good. Are any of them capable of fighting?"
The elf turned away slightly and Solas already knew what he was going to say. "Some but too few. The city has soldiers numbering in the hundreds…"
There was no time, certainly not enough to call in any form of reinforcements and he was struggling to find a suitable answer in his racing mind. A distance away Ellana was quietly singing to their daughter and her tears slowly ebbed away with her mother's voice.
He turned to Lis, look stern. "Whatever happens, protect Ellana and my daughter – that is your role. Do you understand me?"
Lis and the others nodded slowly as a hand, warm and reassuring, quelled the contemplations swirling in his mind. He gazed down on Ellana - unquestionable fear glinting in her eyes, and his child - none the wiser to the peril in which she lived.
"Take every man that can fight to the refugees. Protect them and guide them to safety," he ordered. The scout nodded immediately. "Until you can escape, I will hold off the soldiers."
As people moved off, he took a moment to lock eyes with Lis's understanding stare.
"You will?! Alone?!" Ellana practically screamed, taking a firm grip of his arm so he could go no further. "No you will not face them alone! Not while I still breathe!"
He considered her for as long as he thought he could get away with. Lis carefully took the child from her without much resistance before exchanging whispers with the others.
"No, vhenan, you cannot join me and there is no time to call in reinforcements," he uttered. "I am all we have."
"You do not get to dictate what I can and cannot do! I have a choice and I will not allow you to do this alone!" she yelled.
He slowly shook his head. "Not this time."
With some hesitation, he nodded to Lis and they all sprung in to action. Together, Ellana's friends managed to restrain her. She struggled, kicking and screaming, all the way to the mouth of the cave but she could not overpower them all. Solas raised a hand and his eyes glowed as ice formed across the opening. He walked away from it, mind musing at how predictable he was becoming.
Ellana bashed in to the ice with a dull thud. Even with the help of her ebony arm, her punches yielded no movement. She took a few steps back, convinced she could find a way around but it was hopeless. With one final bash of her fist, she allowed her weight to fall against the cold. Her tears flowed thick as the fear of losing him choked her. Her friends gathered behind but they were uncertain what to do or say in the wake of their betrayal. Unfamiliar faces gathered too - the faces of the refugees and amongst them, her mother. She came forward and touched a hand to her daughter's back. Lis joined her with Emmaera crying in her arms.
"He saved us all," Siona uttered quietly.
Ellana did not hear her. Head rested against her blackened, unfeeling arm, a roar sounded for her alone. Suddenly she shot up and turned without even acknowledging her mother or Lis.
"I need a large open area," she stated to one of the scouts Solas had been ordering. "These caves must lead somewhere - tell me you know of another way out!"
The elf nodded slowly. "There is a way out…a few minutes away at a run."
"Good," she replied blankly. "You could lead us there?"
The man nodded again and Ellana marched towards the crowd of refugees.
"Everyone!" she yelled out. "We are going to have to run to a place of safety! All those that are able, help those who are not! We need to do this fast but I want no one left behind!" She paced back over to her own entourage. "Miris, help my mother. Shivra and Lori, ensure there are no stragglers." She turned to Lis. "Take Emi for me, please."
Lis nodded but grabbed her friend's arm when she tried to leave. "Ellana, what are you doing? He said there was no time to call in reinforcements…"
Ellana shook herself loose. "Reinforcements are already on the way." She came to the side of the scouts. "One of you, lead us at the front and the others help the refugees. I am ready whenever you are."
Ellana broke in to a run just behind the leader.
"Help one another and we can all make it!" she shouted as she passed by the crowd in a flash.
The cave was littered with debris and light was dim but with each glance back, Ellana could see that all were just about managing. Lis had understood - that much was clear - and with that, she had ensured that everyone did their jobs seamlessly. As they ran, the sounds of fighting interspersed with the definite reverberations of Solas's magic rippled around them. Ellana tried to ignore it until she saw the bright light of day and allowed herself to feel some relief. Beaten there only by her scout companion, she stopped just after she reached the open air and indicated to those behind that they should do the same.
"Everyone!" she shouted out, once again addressing the crowd as they gathered. "Stay nearby the rocks and whatever you do, do not move beyond!"
Satisfied enough people had heard, she did exactly what she had told them not to and ran out in to the open.
"Dhaveira!" she screamed out, hand to her wrist. "Come to me!"
She heard the roar, presuming it was for her alone but the faces of all those around told her otherwise. Ellana had expected she would have to wait but the dragon must have reacted the second she had heard that first dying scream. She broke in to a run just as the flurry of white tore through the mist. The beast shrieked, diving down, knowing her elf's desire without a word. Ellana heard it behind her and heard the gasps of the congregated elves. So close to the ground the long grass almost grazed her hide, Dhaveira was gaining on her with each pounding step she took. Ellana jumped just in time. She grabbed out for anything that she could hold on to, somehow finding a tendril that allowed her enough purchase to find the beasts horned back.
"Fly, Dhaveira, fly!" she shouted, holding on for dear life. "He's not doing this alone, not while we're around!"
The dragon roared as she beat her wings harder and they rose up over the trees. Ellana paid little attention to where they were going but Dhaveira was smart enough to know that she simply had to follow the fighting. She turned in the air, jostling Ellana, to pass back over the rock formation. Despite the obvious peril she was in, the wind whipping through Ellana's hair was the most freeing feeling. She almost enjoyed it until they went in to dive and her stomach lurched upwards. She could see the fighting below, see what she thought was Solas and for a moment she allowed herself to truly hope. The scout had been right – there were at least a hundred men against one. Her vision flicked frantically around the battlefield in her desperation to lay eyes on Solas once more but plumes of smoke, moving amongst the humans as if by their own volition, obscured her view. Picking up speed, she felt her legs lifting away from the dragon's skin and her desperate gaze broke away in panic. Incensed, roaring and intent on fire, Dhaveira noticed her elf was falling far too late.
There were too many of them and they just kept on coming. Solas had managed to hold them back thus far but he was tiring fast. He was unlikely to make it out of this unscathed - he knew that but ensuring the safety of those he cared for was his priority now. He held the next wave off with a shockwave that afforded him a moment of recovery. A voice pervaded in the back of his mind, screaming at him and fracturing his focus. He could not do this alone – that much was abundantly clear but he was not alone, far from it in fact. Each time he pushed the men back more came, and each time he killed, more replaced the fallen. He could feel the fear building inside of him, unfamiliar and unrelenting. He was losing control.
"Please…leave me alone," he murmured, unable to hear anything beyond the deafening sound of his own mind.
He was willing to die in the pursuit of their safety but continually the thought of how they would survive without him jarred his resolve. He was tired, so very tired. When the next wave came, he could only hold back some of their number and the sting of a blade against his shoulder shattered the last vestiges of his focus. Blackness took over with crushing force and droves fell with frightening ease but he was apart from it all. He had no idea how much time had passed before he heard the roar. It was so loud that it shook the earth, enough that it brought a sliver of his attention back. When he had left Ellana behind Solas had considered she would fight it but he had never expected she would take it this far. Seeing the beast was a shock, even more so when he saw Ellana's tiny form riding atop it. She truly was relentless and seeing her was enough to curb the darkness inside of him. The sight transfixed him until she fell. The height was less than it could have been but at the very least, she was bound to be injured. Dhaveira desperately tumbled back in the air far too late but Solas had already made a decision. It only took a few seconds and there he was, pushed to the ground by the force of her fall in to his arms. It hurt quite a lot but he was relieved to hear she was still yelling, so she must have been alive. Once she realised this herself, she turned to him.
"Solas?" she asked, barely able to believe it. He answered her with only a groan. "Are you hurt? Please don't tell me I hurt you!" She examined him with her eyes and hands in a panic. Finally, she touched his face. "Solas?"
"You are insane," he uttered.
She let out a long, relieved exhale.
Dhaveira dealt with the remaining intruders until all had run. Ellana recoiled at the sight of the decimation Solas had wrought but she was just so glad he had survived. For the first time she had faced potentially losing him and that was something she never wanted to repeat. Although both would be feeling it for days to come, neither appeared deathly injured after thorough inspection. The dragon padded over to them with a slight hiss in Solas's direction.
"Thank you, Great One," Solas said, placing a palm on the dragon's snout.
She hesitated, regarding him curiously before she slowly moved her head against his hand, enormous eyes flashing to Ellana. She placed her hand beside his to touch the bleeding warmth of the dragon's hide, not needing to say a word. Contrary to the strict orders she had given them, the elves slowly emerged from the trees. The sight of their tents and belongings, all they had left, lying in ruin should have affected them but in the presence of the dragon, all else seemed trivial. The beast sounded a warning growl in their direction, which slowed most.
Ellana's friends and her mother came forward regardless. Siona was the loudest by far; shouting, "That's my daughter!" to whomever would hear it.
Ellana laughed at the sound but kept her eyes on Solas. She gazed up at him with a smile and he met her with the same.
"I want to do it," Ellana uttered as his brow furrowed. "I want to be bonded to you."
His smile slowly returned as Siona careened in to them, grabbing her daughter in to a crushing embrace. The dragon trilled questioningly at their new arrival.
"Don't ever scare me like that again!" Siona chastised, still beaming with pride. "You hear me? And you!" She turned to Solas, her look softening instantly. "Thank you, my son."
Siona hugged him gently and Ellana could feel her heart rising in her chest. Dhaveira, however, let out a rather disgruntled whine as she pressed her nose in to Solas's back insistently. Siona gawked at the beast as if she had not even noticed her until now.
"Mamae, this is Dhaveira…" Ellana started, taking her mother's hand in hers and placing it upon the ivory scales. "She is…a friend of the family…"
The dragon rumbled beneath the attention. "She is beautiful. Yes, you are simply magnificent. Yes you are!" Dhaveira let out an excited shriek at Siona's words, tail thrashing lightly.
Her friends had approached them, unheeded by fear of the beast but the rest of the elves were another story. They cowered when she shrieked. Solas took Emmaera appreciatively from Lis, greeting her with appropriate fervour given what he had just gone through but Ellana did not join him. She had seen the children in amongst the refugees, afraid and hiding behind adults but eyes still filled with the wonder of youth. She took a few steps in their direction.
"Do not be afraid," she started softly. "You are safe. Come with me, see her for yourself."
Apprehensive eyes flitted between Ellana, the dragon and surrounding parents. None seemed brave enough to take the first step until a lone little girl came forward. Her mother showed her reluctance by clutching at her but the girl would not allow it. She pulled free and came to stand by Ellana, eyes glinting with hopeful curiosity. Others joined as Ellana took the girl's hand.
"Come," Ellana uttered again. "Come and see her."
Dhaveira watched them all, rumbling away to herself. She lowered her head slowly down to rest beneath Ellana's outstretched hand.
"This is Dhaveira, a dragon kissed by snow," Ellana started. "She is a protector of the elves." Ellana crouched down next to the girl at her side. "Go on, you are safe - touch her."
The girl reached out a shaking hand and laid it on the dragon's skin. She beamed a smile as the beast rumbled contentedly. The other children quickly joined her and soon, young and old came forward from the crowd to see the beast up close. Ellana went back to Solas with lips bowed in a warm smile.
"Vhenan," he uttered, hand going instantly to the small of her back as she greeted the little one in his arms. He was smiling too, part surprise at her actions and part all-consuming love.
"Look at them," she said. "Look how happy they are…"
He did not need to look. "You are the most remarkable person I have ever met," he uttered quietly. "Then it is decided…" He pulled away from her suddenly and raised his voice, "People! Your homes here lie in ruin but they were never truly home! If that is what you desire, pack what belongings you have and ready yourself for a journey! We will take you to a true home!"
He turned back to Ellana's shocked expression whilst his men came to his side.
"Organise the refugees so that we can move out before nightfall. Ensure that only those that wish it remain here," he ordered of them.
Ellana reached him, mouth open in disbelief. "I cannot thank you enough…"
"There is no need to thank me - it was…the right course," he interrupted, shifting his daughter up against his shoulder with a sly smile. "You were right, as you always are. Our actions on this journey are important. Once we reach home I will have Varden look in to communicating with the other camps and offering our services…"
Her kiss cut him off before he could finish, soft at first. She pulled away slowly and gazed in to his eyes.
"You are the most remarkable man," she stated before kissing him again.