Recap: "Ma serannas, ma falon." She whispered. Daylen grinned at her having learned some of the elven words.

"You're welcome." He replied. He then put his arm around her shoulders and led her into the city.

Now-6 years later...

"AHAHAHAHA!" Laughed a small figure that sprinted down the market street followed by two, foul smelling angry teenage boys running after it.

"AEDAN! WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"

"YOU'VE CROSSED THE LINE THIS TIME!" The figure free ran up a nearby house and climbed until he was on the roof. He was still laughing as he heard the 2 teens try to climb but merely fell down.

"Aedan get down here and take your beating like a man!" One of them shouted. Aedan was a young five year old boy with black hair and deep green eyes with fair skin. His face was red from his laughter as he continued to laugh at the fools. After a minute of uproarious laughter he finally responded.

"Hey, after what you guys did to Soris, I'd say you deserved it." Aedan called back as he grinned down at them. The other one snarled.

"All we did was push that little knife-ear into the mud-" Aedan's grin disappeared at that name. A stupid insult to all elves. The other one noticed this. He had a cruel smirk on his face.

"Oh right, I forgot. One of those knife-ears is your mother. If you can even call her that. Probably just another knife-eared whore." Aedan was almost ready to jump the 2 but he realized that they were baiting him. He then put on a false grin. The 2 teens noticed this and looked at him with narrowed eyes. His grin fooled them. Inside he was absolutely livid that these idiots would call his mother a whore.

"At least when my mom and I smile, we don't have horse shite in our teeth." Aedan said which caused several people to make disgusted noises drawing the kids' attention. They finally noticed that they drawn a small crowd, wondering what Aedan had done this time. Everyone knew that Aedan was an elf-blooded human. They all tolerated him and were a bit more polite with him more than the elves despite the fact that he never bothered to hide it. They also knew that if someone did something to one of the people he cares about, he'd get them back.

They would see Aedan play with 3 red-headed elven children, one boy and 2 girls. Yesterday, the 2 teenage boys had pushed the young elven boy into mud and when he tried to get up, they pushed him back down until they lost interest. From what Aedan had said, and the brown splotches on the teens' clothes as well as the smell, he had pushed them into the horse stables. Right into a pile of dung too. The teens' faces went red in embarrassment and indignation.

"We'll remember this you damn half-breed! Watch your back!" With that they ran away with people giving them a wide berth. Some people were shaking their heads at the boy finding his actions funny while others glared at him for having pushed Arl Urien's son into horse dung. They all dispersed after a few more minutes leaving Aedan alone. Since it was all clear, he climbed down and dusted himself off. His clothes were in poor condition given that he lived in the Alienage with his mother. They were somewhat better than his friends' but not by much. His father didn't live with them but he did what he could to support them. He began to trek back home when he felt someone grab him by the ear.

"Aah, ow, ow, ow!" He said as he tried to see who had him.

"Stirring up trouble again, eh?" A male voice asked him. He stopped struggling, knowing who it was.

"Yeah, dad." Was his reply before the hand moved to grip him on the shoulder so he couldn't bolt for it. Not that he would. He learned a long time ago that his father could catch him easily. He was then walked back to the Alienage.

"So what are you doing here?" Aedan asked his father.

"Well I waited for my son to come and spend some time with me on that hunting trip we planned to do today but he didn't show up." His father replied. Aedan winced.

"In my defense, I was on my way, but those two had messed with Soris and the opportunity was too good to pass up. Besides, they were looking at Bill and teasing him too. They stuck a carrot out and every time he tried to bite it they pulled it away." Aedan protested as he looked up at his father, Daylen. The years had been kind to Daylen. He was older with his beard now longer, being grab-able. He had a few lines on his face due to age but that's what happens when you have a son like Aedan.

"That still doesn't give you an excuse to humiliate two teenagers over twice your age." he looked around before leaning forward somewhat. "By the way, nice job. I'm proud of you for not taking the bait and turning the tables on them like that. You get that from your old man." Daylen said softly. Aedan had to hide a small smile so people thought he was chastised for his behavior. He and his dad got along great, but he was afraid of what his mom was going to do. They finally made it back to the alienage with his dad still holding him by the shoulder, leading him to his house. It wasn't a house really but a hovel near the back. It was small and it only had one bed. He and his mother made sure to keep it clean every day. The elves had accepted him with open arms, but he could see there were a few who gave him glare when they thought he didn't notice. Despite his age, Aedan was very perceptive and clever among other things. He knew when someone was hiding something and he learned how pickpocket people, but it only worked with small things like coins. He had also learned to be very sneaky. He was so good that he could sneak past the guards at night and during the day too.

That was when they had arrived at his home.

"Oh Mythal, what has he done now?" His mother spoke. Dahlia looked at him with a weathered expression, already having been used to his antics.

"Hello to you too, Dahlia. I caught him humiliating two teenagers in the market square." Dahlia gave her son a stern look.

"How many times do I have to tell you not be near them! You're lucky I don't make you find them and apologize. Now go inside and get your bow and arrows." Dahlia commanded.

"But mom-" Aedan tried to say before she just pointed at the door. He sullenly walked into the house to do as she told him. Daylen chuckled at the situation. The only ones who Aedan would ever listen to were him, his mother and that little elven girl. What was her name? Kallia? Kalli? Kallian, that was it! The little elven girl was the only one of the children that could persuade his son to stop when it counted. Granted she didn't do it often, but it was still something. Seeing Dahlia's mad look he decided to weigh in.

"From what he told me, he was getting back at those teenagers because they messed with Soris." Daylen said. Dahlia sighed and rubbed her eyes with one hand while the other was on her hip. She had, with great difficulty, forgone her Dalish garments and was wearing city clothes. The years had been kind to her as well, somewhat. She still maintained her youthful appearance, but he could see she was stressed. Her golden hair was longer now and had lost its shine a little. Overall though, she stilled looked beautiful.

"I know why he did it. I saw Soris yesterday. The little 4 year old was crying his eyes out because those two pushed him in the mud over and over. But that is still no reason humiliate those two." Dahlia said without removing her hand.

"Oh that's only partially the reason he got those two. For what they did to Soris, he pushed them into the horse stall. Plus, from he told me they were messing with Bill." Daylen said causing Dahlia to snort.

"Of course you'd defend him now. When Bill's involved, you take his side." Dahlia said.

"Not this time. He pushed them into the stall for the first 2. He humiliated them because they said something about you." Daylen replied causing her to look at him.

"What?" She asked. Daylen nodded with a grin.

"Our son is growing up. Those 2 teenagers called you a 'knife-eared whore' and he didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he commented on their appearances in front of everyone in them market. You would have been so proud of him." Daylen smiling. He could see a smirk forming on her lips too.

"That still doesn't mean we should encourage him though. We could get in serious trouble because of who that brat's father is." Dahlia said with brat sounding more like a curse. Ever since Vaughan Kendells could walk outside his estate freely, he had picked to causing trouble for everyone, particularly the elves. Dahlia feared what the boy would turn into when he got older since no one seemed to stop him or stand up to him. Well, that is everyone except Aedan. For someone reason, out of all the children in the Alienage, her son was the one and only one who seemed capable of taking the teenage terror. With whatever cruel thing Vaughan did, Aedan would reply with something unexpected and humiliating. Dahlia feared that it would escalate into something worse in the next few years. Seeing her worries, Daylen walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her before he tenderly kissed her. The kiss lasted a minute before they parted.

"I think this trip will be good for both of us. I get him for a couple of days and you get some peace." Daylen said. Dahlia smiled back before she kissed him again. They continued this before they heard, "Awww man."

They turned around to see their son covering his eyes with both hands with a small bow and quiver strapped to his back. They both started laughing at their son's expression of disgust.

"Hey, one day you'll find a girl you'll like and you'll be doing this too." Daylen said resulting in Aedan shaking his head no like it wasn't going to happen and Dahlia lightly smacking his chest. Her son was too young for that. He just laughed letting go of Dahlia. Dahlia kneeled down to her son and took his hands in her own.

"Now you be a good boy for your father okay?" She prompted. Aedan nodded his head sullenly. Her eyes softened seeing that he still thought she was mad at him. She knew despite that fact he was a troublemaker, he was a good boy at heart. She'd see him helping his elders around when they needed or asked for it. How he would try to teach the younger kids to read and write. She also knew that he was a protector of sorts, just like his father. She kissed his forehead before hugging him which he gave back. After letting go, he walked to his father and began walking away.

"Dareth shiral ma vhenan." She called out to both of them. Her two boys both looked at her with matching grins and waved at her before rounding the corner and going out of sight.

A few days later

Aedan and Daylen were on Bill and were just now entering Denerim. The last few days had been fun. Daylen did feel guilty about not telling Dahlia that he was going to teach their son about the various herbs found in the wild. But he was proud at how fast Aedan learned elfroot, deathroot, deep mushroom, madcap, rashvine and blood lotus. He also taught him how make a few traps and poisons. Aedan wasn't an expert but he was certainly not a beginner.

So roughly his son learned learned to construct basic traps and lures from common components; became more familiar with important flora in order to make a wide variety of potions, poultices, and salves; and survived the difficult learning process of making simple poisons and grenades. Plus he managed to teach Aedan a few survival tactics in the woods, though he needed to improve on it considering the boy could only tell when there was an animal nearby. Overall it was a good trip.

The two left Bill at the stables at the city gate before moving to the alienage. They chatted a little with Aedan griping about how he was going to have to see his parents making kissy faces again and Daylen teasing his son about the fact he'll be doing the same in a few years. Aedan would vehemently deny it ever happening. Especially when Daylen suggested that it might happen with Kallian. She was his best friend for Maker's sakes. As soon as they were in the middle of the alienage Aedan was tackled by a little red blur.

"Aedan, I missed you! Why didn't you tell me you were going away for a few days?!" A little red headed girl said as she shook Aedan by the scruff of his shirt. Daylen just grinned at the scene.

"I'm... sorry... Kallian. Will... you... please... stop... shaking...ME!" Aedan asked as she shook him. The girl abruptly stopped as Aedan was trying not to stumble in place. She was a little elven girl with fiery red hair and light green eyes. This was Kallian Tabris, his best friend and the only kid his age in the alienage. The two got along famously with each other and looked after her two cousins Soris and Shianni. Soris was a shy little guy while Shianni was showing signs of being a feisty little girl. Probably from having Kallian as a sister figure instead of a cousin.

"You better make it up to me." She said as she let him go. He nodded.

"Okay, okay. Just let me put my stuff away at my house and we'll play. Just you and me if you want." Aedan said trying get the girl to smile instead scowl. It worked like a charm. Kallian smiled at him.

"Okay, you better follow through with that." She said before walking away. Aedan just looked after her for a minutes before his dad flicked him on the head. He looked at him in confusion.

"Come on son. There is one other lady in your life that's missed you while we were away." Daylen said as he guided his son back to the house, ignoring his son's glare as they walked through the Alienage's alleys. The house finally came in sight as they rounded the corner. Suddenly Daylen stopped and held his son in place.

"Dad?" Aedan asked in confusion. Why had they stopped?

"Shh." Daylen silenced him. Something was wrong. It was too quiet. Then out of nowhere the house exploded sending the two on their backs. Both quickly got up.

"Mamae!/Dahlia!" They shouted before they saw a figure walking out of the flames. Both father and son's eyes went wide.

"It cannot be." Daylen whispered. There in front of them was Dahlia being lifted off the ground by her neck... and the one holding her was the mage from 6 years ago! The mage had noticed them.

"Ah, so we're all here." The mage said.

"Ma... vhenan." Dahlia struggled out catching Reaper's attention. Ma vhenan? He looked at the man who wounded him several years ago and then he noticed the child next to him. The human child who looked just like him except for the eyes. Reaper gained a smirk.

"Oh this is too good to be true. A Dalish First having an elf-blooded child with a human? Oh, what would your old Keeper say? I guess it doesn't matter now." Reaper said before he heard a bow string being pulled.

"Let her go." A cold voice stated and he saw that the man had once again raised an arrow against him. Reaper's smirk didn't disappear.

"You know it won't work. By the time you fire, she'll be in the way." Reaper said. Daylen snarled. Aedan was petrified in fear.

"Daylen..." Dahlia choked out causing him to look at her. "... he has it. You have to stop him, emma lath. Aedan," Aedan looked at her with tears in his eyes.

"Mamae?" Aedan choked out.

"Ma'arlath, da'vhenan." She said. Reaper rolled his eyes.

"Time to end this." Reaper spoke before crushing her neck. Aedan watched as his mother fell to the ground, lifeless. He barely heard the roar of his father.

"Garas." Reaper taunted to Daylen. Daylen fired his arrow which Reaper dodged. Daylen prepared another arrow before his body seized up. He looked to see what had happened only to just now notice Dahlia's blood on the mage's hand. His eyes widened as his blood began to actually boil in his veins. He also felt something else harming him.

"Blood wound mixed with a curse of mortality. Emma shem'nan." Reaper said as Daylen dropped to his knees, trying desperately keep himself up. He looked over to his son who was looking at him, scared out of his wits.

"A-Aedan. R-Run." Daylen managed to get out before the life left his body. With a thud, his body collapsed onto the ground. Aedan stared at his father's corpse, tears flowing down his cheeks. Then fury raged inside him. It was clawing at his inside like a rabid animal, desperate to get out. Reaper paid him no mind as he walked past him, staff in one hand and some sort of book in the other. He walked out into the open where the elves had heard the commotion. All were shocked to see him with blood on his hand. They could all see Aedan standing behind him crouched down as well as another prone figure on the ground. That was when the guards came running into the alienage.

"What the hell is going on?! By the Maker... is that a mage?!" The guard captain said as he and several others ran in only stop upon seeing Reaper with his bloodied hand.

"How perceptive." Reaper said in a bored tone. The captain snarled before looking to one of his men.

"Go get the templars. Quickly!" He shouted. The guard nodded and ran back to where the Chantry was. Reaper placed the Tome in a bag he had attached to his waist.

"The templars can't save you and they most certainly can't stop me." Reaper said as he raised his hand. The guardsmen almost charged but there bodies stopped moving of their accord.

"W-Who are you!" The captain demanded despite the position he was in.

"I am the end. I am death. I am... Reaper." Reaper spoke scaring everyone who heard. That was when three templar hunters ran into the alienage followed by the other guard.

"Apostate! Surrender and we may spare you!" The leader of the three said as they took their swords and shields out.

"Apostate? Please, do not insult me, templar. I'm no mere apostate. I am a maleficar." Reaper said as the shadows seemed to move when he spoke the last word. The templars tensed upon seeing this while the onlookers gasped, some backing up in fear and hugging their children as if to shield them from him. Reaper then sent the guards under his control to attack the templars. It immediately became a kill or be killed sword fight. Reaper stood and watched. He wasn't concerned about the elves. Unlike their woodland brethren, they were cowards. None would fight him. Who would?

WHISTLE

An arrow flew past his face, grazing his nose before embedding in a post beside him. He lifted his hand unconsciously to feel the wound before looking at who shot the arrow. His gaze found the elf-blooded boy, with his bow at the ready in a firing position. This fool child had the audacity to attack him?!

"Ma emma harel, seth'lin." Reaper said as he raised his staff at the boy. Aedan surprised him by charging him and actually striking him with the bow to the gut.

"No, MA emma harel." Aedan spoke before he used the bow to uppercut Reaper in the face. Reaper however recovered fast before dodging the blow and swung his staff from the side. Aedan tried to block the staff, but short-bow's elm wood was no match for the blunt force of golden volcanic metal. The bow was snapped in two and the staff slammed into him, knocking him onto the ground. Aedan opened his eyes in time to see Reaper standing over him.

"I must say, you had me there for a second. But only a second." Reaper then grabbed Aedan by his throat and lifted 5 year old boy off the ground and into the air easily. The elves were getting restless, seeing the little boy they watched grow up being handled like this, but what could they do? Who ever this man was, he was a killer and they couldn't fight.

"AEDAN!" Kallian shouted as she tried to run up and save him. But her father, Cyrion, held her back.

"Let me go! We have to help him! Please!" Kallian said desperately as she watched her best friend being strangled before her very eyes. Cyrion didn't say anything, but he closed his eyes and looked away. A single tear went down his face. Aedan had always been a nice lad to him and his family. But he couldn't fight this monster that was hurting everyone.

"Mom wouldn't hesitate if she were here!" He heard his daughter say as she continued to struggle. Cyrion couldn't help but wince at his daughter's words. Every single one of them was true. Adaia would definitely fight if she wasn't out of the alienage right now. Reaper could see the struggle taking place in the elves. He looked at the child still in his grasp. Was this boy so important to them? What was he to them to cause such feelings? Visions of his own childhood started to filter into his mind before he ruthlessly squashed them back down. No matter. He will end all of this now!

"It's over, seth'lin. You cannot fight. You cannot win. Take comfort in the fact that you will see your parents again very soon." Reaper said as he began to apply more force on Aedan's throat.

Aedan desperately tried to wiggle out of the hold. He tried to claw the mage's hand, but it didn't work. He couldn't breathe. Everything was getting quieter. He then reached out desperately trying to feel his way out. He could feel Reaper's face.

"Ma halam." He heard Reaper said. With the last once of his strength, he had tried to grab whatever was in his grasp, but something else happened. He heard a PHISH sound and then the hand let go of his throat letting him fall on the ground, coughing his lungs out as he tried to refill them with air. He heard someone roaring in pain and looked up to see Reaper holding the left side of his face. Reaper turned to face Aedan and he saw what had caused Reaper so much pain.

There, right where his hand been was a nasty burn mark covering Reaper's left eye.

"Len'alas lath'din! Ar tu na'din! Ar tu na'lin emma mi!" Reaper roared at him. Aedan had learned the elven language from his mother and he knew each of those threats were serious. He couldn't get up on the account of him being too tired. He saw Reaper raise the staff up with both hands, the tip pointed at him. Aedan knew he was about to be stabbed by Reaper and then his vision went dark. But before Reaper could follow through with his threat, he heard feet moving forward toward him. He glanced back and saw that the templars and guardsmen were charging at him. The brat's unexpected fire flare had broken his concentration over his blood slave spell. When they got close he used repulsion field, knocking all of them back. Mist then began to form around him as the templars got back and prepared to attack again.

"Tell that brat he's lucky to have survived. Next time he and I meet, he will die." Reaper growled out as the mist engulfed his very being before dispersing, leaving nothing but footprints to indicate he had even been there. Cyrion had let go of Kallian, who rocketed to where Aedan lay on the ground unconscious. She kneeled on the ground and lifted him up a little, shaking him.

"Aedan? Aedan, please wake up." Kallian begged as she gently shook him. Tears began to pool in her eyes. Suddenly one of the templars walked over and pulled her away from him.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Let me go!" She yelled, struggling as the templar dragged her back to the crowd.

"Child, it would be best if you stayed away from that boy. He is a mage." The templar said as he placed the little elf next to Cyrion who held her. The templar heard the mutters from the crowd.

'Aedan's a mage?'

'We never knew.'

'No wonder he was so strange.'

'But didn't he always help out?'

'Are you kidding? The boy's a born troublemaker. He best leave if he knows what's good for 'im.' An older elf, Alva, said. Kallian heard that and couldn't believe what they were saying. Aedan had been living with them all his life! They'd watched him grow up here and they just want him to leave now?! She was about to speak before someone unexpected took up Aedan's defense.

"I would not be so hasty to judge if I were you." The templar said causing everyone to look at him.

"That boy just saved all of us. Had he not interrupted the blood mage's control, my fellow templars and I would be dead... and you may very well have followed." He continued causing some people to gasp. The templar turned to go back and help the other templars. As he approached he could hear the other templar's banter.

"How could we let this happen?" "The poor lad, watched his own parents get cut down." He heard before he approached the one holding the small boy.

"How is he?" He asked.

"He's unconscious, Knight-Commander Tavish." His knight responded. Tavish grimaced behind his helmet. The boy who would cause such an uproar in the streets was a mage now. To make matters worse he had probably seen his own parents get killed before nearly being killed himself.

"Knight-Commander what are your orders?" Another of his knights asked. Tavish though it over quickly, looking at the bodies on the ground.

"Give them a proper burial and transport him to the Circle Tower. I'll send reports of the maleficar to every Chantry in Ferelden. Someone as dangerous as that, to brazenly walk into the city and murder in broad daylight in front of everyone must be brought to justice." Tavish ordered. His knights nodded as one of them carried Aedan to the Chantry. On the way over they could hear him mumbling.

"Mamae, dad... Reaper."