Happy Friday everyone! So, I have some announcements at the bottom of the page, so read that if you want to know more about potential scheduling changes as well as hints about future chapters! Enjoy!
Solas noticed that Ellana liked to bring strays back to Haven with her. Their once ragtag team of four easily expanded into a group of eight. It had all started with that blasted Red Jenny scarf and ended in that sham of an invitation to meet Vivienne. Since most of the new members of Ellana's rag tag group were wary of magic at the best of times and downright opposed to it at the worst, each meeting had left a sour taste in Solas' mouth.
The newest additions to their team made it more difficult for him to keep the charade of hedge mage, especially around Vivienne, Dorian and The Iron Bull. With two mages and one Qunari spy, he needed to make sure that he gave nothing away. It was always Ellana that poked and prodded at any and all holes in his stories. It was beginning to drive him mad, especially when she would do it in front of those three in particular.
And, unfortunately for Solas, Dorian and Ellana were rarely ever seen too far apart these days. Somehow in the short time that they've known each other, the Tevinter Altus had managed to weasel his way into Ellana's good graces, something that Solas had to fight to manage to be a part of in the first place. Though, from what Ellana had shared, the two of them had managed to get themselves lost in a future where Corypheus had conquered the world, so, Solas figured that had to help them bond somewhat. Though, he really doubted they had ended up in some kind of alternate future. The sheer amount of magic and research to manage time travel magic couldn't be, no, shouldn't be possible for shemlen.
Dorian himself wasn't the most agreeable of people. Solas lived across from him' he'd know. Somehow, even though all he did was whine, Ellana had taken a liking to him, which was something Solas was still questioning and they had been back at Haven for over a week while they were preparing to close the Breach for good. At least, they all hopped it was for good.
So, here he was, watching the camp prepare for battle. The sound of soldiers scrambling around to meet Commander Cullen's extremely high standards and Leliana's ravens were leaving Haven at a never-ending stream. There had been a recent snowstorm, leaving the mountains covered in a thick white sheet, only making it more difficult for travel. The only people he didn't see actively running around were the people of Ellana's inner group. It seemed that all of them received some kind of break from the chaos until the final push to the Temple of Sacred Ashes.
Even with all of the noise, things had become peaceful, at least until Dorian and Ellana came bustling around a corner. Ellana's hair was recently shaved on one half of her head and meticulously braided and decorated with different ironbark pins from her clansmen on the other.
It was a tradition that the hunters in her clan had started over five hundred years ago (a blink of an eye to Solas), or so she had explained to him. Even her brother had made one for her and Ellana had laughed when she'd put it in around the campfire. She showed the inner circle as a group in the tavern, pointing out that her brother was a shoddy craftsman at best and that his pin was hilariously deformed. It wasn't nearly as bad as she made it out to be, but they were siblings he could expect nothing less. Though he noticed, despite saying how awful the pin looked, she still had it in a very prominent spot in her braid where everyone was able to see it.
A huff and a curse in Tevine brought Solas out of his musings once more. He noticed that Dorian was holding a stack of wooden crates that piled high enough that he needed Ellana to guide him. Though, it seemed she was leading the poor man in circles. She seemed too smug for this to have been a mutually decided agreement. Solas wondered what kind of bet Dorian lost this time to have him carrying so many boxes.
"Kaffas!"
"Swearing isn't going to get you out of this, Dorian," Ellana replied with a teasing lilt to her already accented voice. One he was still trying to place.
Dorian grunted and placed the boxes down, wiped his brow and then sat on them, obviously ready for a break.
"You understand Tevine?"
Solas' ears perked up at the question. That was a very valid question. Where would an elf raised on a mountainside learn Tevinter swears? Solas knew that her clan traded with shemlen, but they weren't close enough to Tevinter, nor would any elf willingly trade with the Imperium.
"Bits and pieces. I know someone that swears in Tevine with much more conviction than you do, Dorian."
Dorian put a hand over his heart, giving her the most hurt expression he could muster. "You don't mean that. I'm obviously the most extraordinary man form Imperium that you've ever met."
"Mm, I've met at least one better," she replied with a grin, "Now carry those boxes back to your room. You don't want your books to get ruined by the snow fall or Sera, who is watching you from the Tavern entrance with that crazed look in her eyes again."
Solas swore he heard Dorian squeak as he picked up the boxes and rushed into his cabin, locking the door behind him. Ellana turned to Solas and gave a long-suffering sigh.
"You see what I have to put up with, hahren?"
"Yes, what a travesty. Dealing with such dramatic humans."
"I can still hear you both!"
"That's the point, Dorian!"
There was loud grumbling from the inside of the cabin before Ellana motioned to move away. She sighed dramatically, "he needs time with his books. It has been a rough few days for him. The Blacksmith spat at him and the Chantry Sisters attempted to remove him from camp. Dorian pretends it doesn't bother him, but I know it does."
Solas put a hand on her shoulder. "The same way they whisper about the knife-eared Herald of Andraste?"
The young elf gave a nod her eyes scanning the camp, lingering on, no doubt, a few of the Inquisition members that gossip about her. "Hopefully, in a few days this will all be over."
Ah, to be young and so idealistic.
"Do you really think that even after this ends, the humans will let you go?"
Ellana let out a breath. "I'm not sure…there are still a lot of rifts to close all across Thedas, but I do miss my clan."
Solas nearly flinched. He tended to forget, like many in the Inquisition, that Ellana was away from home. It wasn't often that she even got to act Dalish or get any news from her clan. They had thought that she was a prisoner here for quite some time before the Inquisition even answered her clan's letters. Ellana had, of course, been furious that her family hadn't been told that she had survived that explosion at the Conclave and was no longer going to be put on trial.
"Have you gotten anything recently from your clan?"
She shook her head. "The last thing I heard from my brother was that he was thinking of coming to visit, but he's waiting for our Mother to okay the trip. This is the one time he regrets being her First."
Solas swore he heard a small sniff come from Ellana, but when he looked at her she looked perfectly composed, if not slightly glassy eyed. So, she was homesick.
Solas decided he wasn't going to let Ellana go off closing the Breach downtrodden. "What would your clan do on a day like today?"
Her ears twitched at the question her eyes lighting up. "Well, it's rather cold, the children would no doubt be causing all kinds of trouble. The halla would be cuddled up together. I'd be hunting some game off in the forest, or cooking whatever I caught. My brother would be telling some fanciful story by the fire about our history. My mother would be jadedly watching the interaction and wait to correct him on anything she figured was wrong, or not age appropriate."
"Is it really all that different from Haven?"
Ellana looked around and rueful smile on her face. "I suppose not. I think I miss my brother more than anything else. We've never been apart for more than three weeks since birth."
"Then I hope your mother okays his visit."
"Or I get to leave once the Breach is closed. Whatever comes first."
It wouldn't be over, not even close. He still needed to remove his mark from her hand and then her world would end. It didn't quite matter how bright this young woman made the world around her, Solas was going to bring the gods of old back and those without a connection to the fade were going to die to bring it about.
Solas was watching Ellana train with Dorian behind their cabins, Solas was observing from a distance. He had seen her fight many mages during their travels so far, but he had yet to see her spar with a mage, no doubt she had done this before. She weaved passed all his spells with ease. Solas imaged that she had done this with her brother. She lacked the general fear that many people of Thedas seemed to have of magic. Ellana charged head first at magic, avoiding it at the last second to get as close as possible to her target before attacking. More than once Solas wondered if she had a death wish when fighting mages in the field. Even The Iron Bull had more self-preservation, but always, somehow, ended up avoiding what their enemies threw at her.
The Tevinter mage had wanted to learn how to better defend himself against rogues, though he wondered after this if he was going to have a fear of fighting them instead. Ellana was more than happy to comply with a wicked grin spread from ear to ear across her face. Ellana was mostly just laughing at him as she circled him, slowly approaching. No matter how much he threw at her, she simply brushed passed it. It was a hunter playing with her prey.
"You know, the way you watch her, it can be seen as a romantic interest."
Solas spun around to come face to face with a young woman, a mage, and one he had yet to meet. She was more than likely part of the mage alliance, since she was leaning on a staff, a lazy grin on her face, bright blue eyes dancing in amusement. Not many Circle mages were willing to talk to him. He was an elf on top of being an apostate that had never been caught by Templars, not a good combination when dealing with bitter Circle mages. Though, her statement was a little alarming. He didn't watch Ellana that much. He didn't want his interest to be seen as anything other that general concern.
Ellana was a mystery he had yet to solve. There was nothing romantic about that.
"My observations are nothing romantic. I'm merely assessing the mark. It was killing her not long ago."
"You see, for some reason I don't believe you. You remind me of someone who pursued my sister for a time," the light from her eyes faded at the mention of her sister, but the smile remained as she watched Dorian go flying into a pile of snow, mustache drooping. Ellana was nearly doubled over laughing.
"It seems like you've lost Dorian. Maybe try again tomorrow," he heard Ellana tease. The two still hadn't realized that they were being watched.
Dorian retaliated by lobbing snow at her conjured by ice magic. Dorian never was much for ice magic, so it wasn't all that powerful, but it still rocked Ellana as it collided with her shaking form, nearly covering her.
The rogue wiped the snow from her face, a murderous intent in her eyes. Dorian readied his staff. "You Tevinter bastard."
The woman was still standing next to him. Didn't she realize he had nothing to say to her?
"Is there a reason that you approached me?"
"I hear you're the resident fade expert. It isn't often that I get to meet another non-circle trained mage," she confessed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind an ear.
Was she nervous?
Solas raised an eyebrow, at the remark. She looked like she was in regulation Circle clothing. "You weren't trained in the Circle?"
She snorted. "Don't let the clothing fool you. Most of my training was done by my father. I was only in a circle for a very short amount of time before the uprising. I still want to find out who ratted me out, I'd string them out by their entrails for all of Kirkwall to see, given the opportunity of course."
Ah, she's from Kirkwall. Solas wondered if she had ever met Varric. No doubt they would have interesting stories to share with one another.
"If you've survived this long, your father must have trained you well."
"He did. My sister helped afterwards. She's a better fighter than I'll ever be when it comes to magic."
Hm, a family of apostates. It was impressive that multiple generations of family in this area of Thedas managed to hide from Templars for as long as they had.
"What happened with the man that watched your sister?" Solas asked, as Ellana tackled Dorian to the ground and shoved snow down his shirt.
"He waited too long and lost his chance with her. Though, I think, in the end, she would have been happier with him than the man that she did fall in love with."
Solas hummed in agreement.
"It was nice talking with you," she commented before making her away from their alcove.
"I never got your name," Solas replied.
"You can call me Bethany. I should really get back to camp. I need to talk to The Commander. Some of the mages are concerned about the Templars that are left here and Fiona has left me in charge of communication."
Solas wrinkled his nose at the former Grand Enchantress's name. That woman was a fool and he wondered how she had lasted in power as long as she had. Though, Bethany seemed strong and capable. Her magic was gentle and in time, Solas figured that she might win the hearts of those in the rebellion.
"Alright, you little savage! I yield" Dorian shouted as he struggled to get Ellana off of him.
As soon as the words of defeat left Dorian's mouth Ellana hopped up, offering him a hand, which he took, and pulled him. "That is why you never cheat me. I will hunt you down until you give up or die…" she threatened, a teasing lilt to her voice, but her eyes were where Solas was hidden amongst the trees.
There was no way that she could see him?
Dorian rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, you're very good at killing people. Now, I need a nice long drink to warm up after this little experiment."
"Sure, but you go ahead. I'm going to do some cool down stretches before heading back."
Dorian's mustache twitched at the thought of anymore physical activity. "I'll leave you to that." The mage walked off, disappearing through the tree line.
"You know, if you want watch our spar, you could have just asked. No need to lurk in the shadows, Solas."
Solas walked into the clearing, caught. He held up his hands in a peaceful gesture.
"Ah, but where would the fun be if you didn't have to work to look for me?" He teased, hoping that she would drop her line of questioning.
She grinned stretching her back, causing it to make a distinct popping noise as her vertebrae realigned themselves. "I suppose your right, but it would be nice if you were honest with me. I notice you staring quite a lot. If I called you out on it every time people might start thinking you're a stalker."
Solas scoffed. "Hardly."
"Well, whether you think so or not hardly matters to me," she told him lifting her arms over her head before making her way over towards the clearing's edge. "I'm going to go have that drink with Dorian. You're welcome to join us or you can just watch me go like you usually do," she replied with a wink before sauntering off towards the tavern.
Did you enjoy the longest chapter yet? Did you like seeing Bethany being introduced into the story? =D
Before I mention potential scheduling issues, I want to say good luck to everyone that is starting or as started school this past week! I know a lot of people either started or went back to college. As someone who recently graduated, I can promise you that it you'll make it! All those starting up middle and high school this week, good luck to you as well! And for anyone looking for work, we'll all get jobs eventually!
So, as I mentioned at the top of the page, I have been having some health issues with my eyes. While I have the next chapters written, if I can't see the words on my laptop, I can't edit it. Hopefully, things are gonna get better. I think I'm straining my eyes and need knew glasses. I recked them writing my thesis. (Don't read really old PDFs in a small font in dimly lit rooms).
Anyway, if you've made it this far, than you get to know that there is going to be a huge plot twist later on in the story between Ellana and Solas. I've already started dropping hints. Let's see if anyone get start guessing it! They're going to get more obvious the further into the story. =D
Please review, follow and favorite, they motivate me to keep posting especially though all this health crap. I need my eyes, thank you very much.
See you next week,
~Animerocker