"(It is all gone)" A voice feminine and light coasted her from her sleep in the lilting sound of ancient elven, foreign to her ears but slightly familiar. They were the first words that she could hear, incomprehensible as they were, beyond the darkness that blanketed her mind. Trying to discern how much time had past since she was last awake left Lavellan in confusion. She could only recall the battle in The Exalted Plain's where Solas had torn down the veil, she remembered the arrow, Solas anger and then…
Falon'din had taken her.
"(It's not all gone, even when being cut off from the magic it can not all be gone…what of the pathway's, the Eluvian's)" The voice was male, not her captors, lighter, not as deep but with the same speech pattern. Hearing it made her struggle more to awaken, She needed to get up, and she needed to fight. Testing her arms she found them bound tight, but not her legs. She dared not open her eyes, hoping that they would pay no attention to her if she continued to feign unconscious
There was a shift in the air and the tingling of familiar magic rippled over her skin as who she only assume as her kidnapper stepped past her and towards the undetermined number of other .
"(All locked)"
"(The Library, the Crossroads…he has locked us out of our homes, out of our place of power…how dare he)"
"(Andruil please…we are free finally, the veil is gone the magic is back…. We can start over)" Lavellan opened her eyes only slightly. Trying to make out the features of the Evanuris before her behind the haze of her eyelashes was hard, but she could see the figures. The one who spoke a woman with long thick hair went and wrapped her arms around another woman.
"(No Ghilan)" Andruil tore away from Ghilan'nain hands that sought to comfort her.
"(Fen'Harel must answer with blood, his followers and he! We cannot return to what we were until the dread wolf is dead and all reminisces of his rebellion are crushed)" Her anger was palpable, and even though She spoke in words she did not know Lavellan recognized a few words, one in particular got her heart racing. Of course Solas would be the first they would seek retribution on, But the short encounter Falon'din had with him seemed that at this point Solas was someone at least alone they feared.
The "they" were four, four of the tallest elves she'd seen outside of Abelas and the other Sentinels. But four was such a small number, shouldn't there be more? She had names for only three, and several Evanuris were missing from the group.
The lack of guidance was a sign that the one who had scorched the earth, Elgar'nan was not among them, all Dalish knew that he was the greatest amongst the gods, the All-Father. She doubted anyone could overlook his presence.
"(Andruil calm yourself, we cannot afford to attract to much attention even here)" Falon'din's voice was not close,but she dared not turn her head to see just how far he was from far. Either way they were all so consumed with each other that Lavellan felt safe enough to begin moving her wrist slowly back and forth, losing the bounds even as they chafe and rubbed her flesh raw on the one wrist, the prosthetic applying a painful pressure as it pressed into her skin.
Feeling bold, Lavellan let her eyes open to get bearings of her surrounding. Having been the Inquisitor had afford her a luxury of travel and even before that she had loved to scout and memorize the lands her clan passed through
The smell alone should have told her where she was, still in the exalted plains, specifically in the Crow Fen's of Ghilan'nain's grove. The slight sulfur smell that the scattered hot springs gave off and the marshy Gurgut stench were all to familiar. She knew short routes through the stone structures, little hiding holes where she'd found forgotten campsites. If she surprised them she could get away.
These elves were not gods. Lavellan had to keep telling herself that they could be killed; they could be stopped, just like Corypheus. But when she fought him she had the anchor, two good arms, and the inquisition. The thought made her heart sink. She hoped that everyone had survived the veil opening. They would need the Templar's and Mage's more then ever now with the spirits loose, The elves around the world would be coming into magic they never knew they possessed. Poor Sera…
No, She had to think about herself now, escape and get to Solas.
"(She would know the password)" Lavellan's body stilled as someone advanced towards her. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts of escape that she didn't keep her full attention on them. As the man who spoke reached down to grab her arm she felt the rope give a little. It was now or never.
The muscles in her arms tensed and in one forceful jerk she tore the bindings loose. The two of them were eye level, green and bright lavender. The look of surprise on his beautiful face was priceless and Lavellan took that moment to slam her forehead into it.
He wheeled back clutching at his face, blood streaming through his fingers. No time to waste. The carving knife in her belt made quick work of the rope at her ankles and she was up and sprinting towards a large boulder. The sounds of footsteps could be heard behind her, but Lavellan dared not turn to look.
She rounded the boulder, out of sight of whichever Evanuris was chasing her but smacked face first into Falon'din.
With the carving knife her only weapon she slashed at him in frenzied arches. Up, down, jab's and stabs. Each quick movement he evaded with ease like he was made out of some liquid material. She tried to cloak herself in shadows and feign a dash one way, but when she rounded another outlay of stones he was there waiting.
She realized to late that he hadnt struck back at her, but was waiting patiently as her strenuous actions began to grow sluggish and slow. Breathing heavily, small knife still clutched in her palm, Lavellan realized that she must have hit him at some point because there was a steady stream of blood that trickled from his nostril to his chin.
He stood there watching her, pale eyes narrowed in disdain.
"Ne halam?" He asked as if the whole escape attempt was a futile waste of time. Lavellan's drive to escape was not dead, no matter how tired she was. An angry yell escaped her as her dwarven made prosthetic connected with his jaw. His face jerked to the side and if looks could kill, he would have struck her down in cold fire.
" .Finished" His voice was steady, but behind it was a threat. If she hit him again he would kill her. She straightened herself, but she met his golden gaze with a look of defiance. Gripping the back of her neck in a vice tight hold, he guided her back to the others.
Seeing the group of them clearly, they were all very beautiful, as she would expect of creatures that would call themselves gods. The Evanuris looked young, maybe a decade or two older then she. They all were dressed in magic, the magic that she could now hear in tree's and filled her blood with an anxious tingle.
Ghilan'nain was stooped on the ground next to the blond with the pretty eyes, fingers glowing as she passed them over his face. She was all browns and green's and white. Her long thick coils of hair were a pale brown that was almost the same dark shade as her skin. Her eyes were large like a does, long lashed and expressive. They were filled with a compassion that had been absent on the battlefield where her beast had killed countless men.
All of them were a good head or two taller then Lavellan, The one behind her taller then all.
"(If she was awake, you should have told us Dirthamen, these things would not happen if you just tell us what things you hear)" Ghilan'nain said as she patted the blond's cheek fondly and kissed his forehead before standing giving Lavellan a reproachful look.
"(She's just a shemlan, they have no power) " He said it as if it was just a fact, but the apprehension in his voice indicated that he wasn't so sure. He stood as well but the look he gave her was like he was looking through her, a glazed over vacant look. Then he shook out of whatever trance he was in and a haughty smile appeared on his face.
"(She thinks were all beautiful as gods, but Fen'Harel has told her we are not, and so she doesn't revere us as such)" Confusion was plain on Lavellan's face, She tried to piece together the words but then realized what had just happened when a smug look of superiority spread across his face. If Dirthamen, the keeper of secrets could read her mind, what exactly could be kept secret from him.
" (But does she know the password) " Falon'din released her and did a pose that mimicked Andruil's accompanied with a warning look when she faced him. She turned back to look at Dirthamen whose eyes once again glazed over.
Lavellan was prepared this time. She started to think about various things. She thought about her clan, thought about Skyhold and the people who had become like a second family to her. She thought about pranks with Sera, shooting arrows across the courtyard divide onto the roof, Varric's stories, the moments during the war with Corypheus when they had time to adventures. She thought about sweet cakes, and hot bathes, of things that Cole had said to her, weather or not she should cut or let her hair grow longer.
Dirthamen shook his head and came to a little queasy looking, his golden complexion turned ashen.
"(I can't, she's thinking about nonsense)" He frowned at her and she returned his haughty smirk from earlier. There was a snort of laughter from Andruil before the woman approached Lavellan in quick long strides. She grabbed Lavellan by her arms and forced her to her knee. When Lavellan started to thrash she pulled on her arm painfully.
"ma ne'suledin " She whispered as Dirthamen placed a hand on either side of her head , and then the pain started. It was like something was trying to split her skull from the inside, trying to get out. Her body strained at the intrusion and she tried to repel him but he dug his fingers into her hair and against her scalp and continued to pry. She convulsed and then went rigid as the two Evanuris violated mind. A scream of discomfort erupted from her mouth.
Dirthamen released her head and stepped back, giving her mind and body much needed relief from whatever he had just done. Dug through her head with all the delicacies of foraging Durffalo. Andruil released her as well, letting her abused body relax.
A shake of the head was all Dirthamen gave his shadow when Falon'din looked at him expectantly.
" Nothing of the password, but there is so much in her head, she could be useful against the quicklings and Fen'Harel" There was nothing to try and interpret this time, Dirthamen spoke clearly in slightly accented but almost perfect common tongue.
"Oh so you do speak the Kings tongue" Her voice was a little hoarse. Was he now speaking the language for her benefit? He'd just been inside her head, they were now so much closer then a few minutes ago. He gave her a very sympathetic look that lasted all of two seconds.
"Who is she?...who are you?" Taking Dirthamen's cue Ghilan'nain forwent the Ancient elven for the language Lavellan could understand.
"Nerys Lavellan, Hunter for Clan Lavellan" She said simply omitting any honorifics. It was who she was after all,who she had been before everything. Before the rift, before the inquisition, before Solas. It was always who she was going to be.
"Who are you to Fen'harel?" Lavellan shot a narrowed eyed look at Falon'din for the question. But the Evanuris just stared at her, He knew that she meant something to the Dread Wolf; he would not have crossed a sea of scorched bodies for any simple soldier. They both stared at each other but Lavellan looked away first, uncomfortable underneath the would be god's scrutiny.
She didn't answer the question, but that was answer enough and she appreciated Dirthamen discreetness on the matter. He would know exactly what she was to Solas, or at least what she thought she was to him.
"Tsk…this is ridiculous" Andruil said placing her hands on her hips and turning to look out on the grove. "We have to leave this place, find a base of operations, start planning for attacks…we need to make decisions now…either we take her or kill her" As little as Lavellan wanted to leave with them , She wanted to stay alive. What use could she be to Solas and the others if she were dead.
"Can't you just…." She moved her hands wildly in the air around her "Build something here now that the Veil is gone" Dirthamen looked positively scandalized by the notion, while Andruil snorted.
"It takes decades to build magically fortified structures, just because the magic and mundane world are now one does not mean that there are no laws that the magic abides by. Before we had time to interlace ever stone placed with a seal that was crafted just for the building. Years of study and research went into our homes….we can't just simply" Andruil moved her hands in mimic of Lavellan's. The dalish elf stared at them in confusion. Magic and it theories had always been a foreign aspect to her, even before the veil falling; mages were powerful people who simply pulled magic from nowhere. But now magic was everywhere, shouldn't it be easy to lift and move stones and make a defensive palace of grandiose proportion?
" What about Tarasyl'an Te'las?...it is Fen'Harel's no longer it could be safe" Dirthamen offered. Lavellan heart stilled. There were still people there, families that had nowhere else to go after the Inquisition dismantled. If the Evanuris went there and found them, what would they do. So far they'd only spared her out of her potential usefulness. She recalled the battle on the Exalted plains, how they had massacred so many people.
She couldn't stop thinking about it once she started. The scorched earth, the smell of burning bodies. She couldn't top thinking about the incomprehensible beast that tore through grown men, those same men rising up from the dead only to kill brother in arms.
Fear gripped her. Was Cassandra amongst the bodies on the field? Was Blackwall? Was Bull. She began to feel so cold and curling in on herself she formed a tight ball.
If they were dead then it was her fault, all those lives were on her hands. She could stop Solas and now she wouldn't be able to stop the Evanuris. They would enslave the Dalish, her people, and her clan.
Somewhere in the distance there was a screech of pain. Opening her eyes that she hadn't realized had closed, she'd slumped to the ground and was looking up at Ghilan'nain , The other three beyond her vision engaged in a fight with something .
" Venavis child, your fear and despair are warping the spirits…reign in your emotions or they will continue to feed and draw from them" She demanded, gripping Lavellan's shoulder tightly. That's right! Spirits were everywhere now, not just lingering in mages dreams, Now everyone was a mage, everyone could become an abomination right. Anyone could reach out into the air and…
Lavellan placed a hand on Ghilan'nain's shoulder and the moment of contact sent the Evanuris spiraling backwards with a force that popped Lavellan's ears.
This was her chance. The other three occupied and Ghilan'nain stunned , she got to her feet and ran. Solas was still in the Exalted Plain's, she just knew it, he would not have abandoned her while he knew her to be a prisoner of the Evanuris. She ran as fast and as far as she could.