Her heart is in her throat. A buzzing sensation fills her mind and she can't think. How could this be Arlathan?
"Please," Solas murmurs, interrupting her thoughts. "Please, tell me what happened. How did Arlathan fall?"
There is such a profound sadness in his eyes, she is not sure what to say. If this truly was Arlathan, then the experiment she had been used for had sent her far back in time. The truth was a harsh reality.
"After the gods were locked away, the elves were left defenseless against the Tevinter Imperium. They destroyed the city. Enslaved or murdered the survivors. We began aging at a similar rate to the Shems. And now…we are scattered across Thedas in small, disconnected pockets called clans. Much of our culture has been lost or forgotten."
He steps forward, eyes searching her face. His hand reaches out and traces a line on her cheek.
"Who sent you?"
Her brow wrinkles as she stares back. "I'm sorry?"
"Which one sent you? This is a joke, yes? A prank? Although they did not have to go so far with you. You were nearly dead when you first arrived. It was all I could do to keep you alive. Although I doubt any of them care so much about their servants." He is bitter and scathing, eyes flashing, cheeks reddening in anger.
She steps back, suddenly frightened. "What? I—I told you exactly what happened! Why would I joke about that?"
"You come from a land I've never heard of. You look like an elf but you do not at the same time. You wear marks the likes of which I have never seen. You claim to be a slave of the Tevinter Imperium, when I know full well they have barely made contact with us yet. You speak of a distant future in which the world as we know is turned on its head! Clearly it is an elaborate hoax! Clearly one of my brethren has sent you to gain my trust so they may learn of my secrets!" His voice rises to a shout and she is cowering before him on the floor, terrified he may strike out at any moment.
To her horror, a sob escapes her throat and the floodgates open. She weeps, covering her face with her hands.
"Please! I—I am no spy! I speak the truth to you!"
"You have your life," Solas says calmly, standing upright and gazing off into the distance above her head. "Please get out. Tell whoever sent you their ploy failed."
She stares up at him in shock, tear tracks down her stricken face. "But—"
"GET. OUT!"
She scrambles to her feet and flies out the open door into the night. She runs blindly, her bare feet hardly feeling the rough terrain below them as she runs herself to exhaustion. When she stops, the building she had been in is nowhere in sight. She must be at least a league or so away by now. It is almost completely black, except for the light of the stars over her head. They provide just enough light to keep her from running into trees.
Nothing is familiar. This forest—or jungle, to be more accurate—is nothing like any of the forests her clan had ever traveled through. It is hot, even in such darkness, and her white gown clings to her sweat-drenched skin. She is breathing hard, her heart is pounding in her ears.
And she is utterly lost.
As she regains her breath and her chest ceases its heaving, she hears the sounds of the jungle she could not hear while running. Leafs rustle all around her. Vines shift and slither. Twigs snap in the distance. A crunch sounds directly behind her.
She flings herself around, her eyes alight with terror. A woman stands before her, tall, beautiful, utterly Elvhen.
"Na laim, haolin?" the woman sneers, danger glinting behind her eyes.
She backs up and trips over an outstretched root. She lands hard but scuttles backward anyway, putting distance between herself and the woman.
"Na min el'u'esaya o ara'lan?" The woman steps forward and looms over her threateningly.
"I—I don't—I don't know," she sputters. The woman draws a dagger from its sheath, the metal snicking as it pulls free. The woman reaches down and pulls her up by the hair.
She shrieks and flails, attempting to break free.
"Ahnsul na min? Dirthera'ma!"
Her feet hang above the ground. The pain in her scalp is tremendous and pulls at her face. She claws at the woman's hands to no avail.
"Na ha'lam." The woman presses the blade against her throat. She feels a sharp sting at the notch of her throat.
A flash of white light and she is crumpled on the ground, several feet away from the woman.
"As'an ghest darena thena i've'an'sou sul'ara," the woman says quietly.
"Din," a voice speaks from the darkness. The woman's eyes flash as Solas steps forward into view.
"Mesilde dharlin, ema'na laimem na'rahn'girem?" the woman leers, stepping away from where she lies cowering on the ground.
"Ar ver'asa, vasa'na." He glares at the woman, standing still as a statue.
The woman juts her chin up and jeers at Solas.
"Min tel'ha'lam, Fen'harel." And she stalks off into the black jungle.
Solas turns his attention to her and contemplates her for a moment as she pulls herself to her feet.
"Are you well?"
"I will survive," she says, though she feels irritated at the inability to understand what had just transgressed.
A sensation of warmth suddenly blossoms at her neck and she reaches up to find her skin is once again whole and unblemished.
"Thank you," she says softly, and she turns away to leave.
Solas steps forward, intercepting her path.
"Wait."
She hesitates, not meeting his eyes.
"Ir abelas, da'len. I do not know what came over me. I—I am afraid I have become paranoid as of late. Things have happened recently that have me looking over my shoulder at all times. You did not deserve to get caught in the crossfire. My behavior was unacceptable. Please. Return home with me. You will be safe there."
"Is it safety if you are there?" she retorts, but there is no true anger behind the words. She is tired.
"I deserve that," he affirms with a swift nod. "I give you my word, no harm will come to you in my presence."
Exhausted, she simply nods in agreement. Her eyes find the jungle floor.
"It is a long way back. I can carry you," Solas offers, putting his hand out.
She looks up sharply. "I can walk," she contends. He tilts his head in acknowledgment.
"Ma nuven'in."
They walk back in silence. It is over an hour of walking, but they eventually reach the small dwelling. Solas proffers his arm toward the doorway leading off to the bedroom she had occupied before.
"I…I would not take your only bed from you," she admits, a blush creeping up her neck.
"Please, da'len. You are my guest. I would have it no other way."
Sensing unwavering stubbornness within him, she decides against arguing and tilts her head in thanks before padding down the hall to the bedroom. She climbs beneath the covers and falls asleep almost instantly, thoroughly exhausted.
The morning comes quickly, considering half of it was spent out in the jungle, nearly getting herself killed by some crazy elf.
She climbs out of bed and looks down at herself in disgust. The bottom edge of her white gown is filthy and covered in dirt and grime, and her feet are almost black with jungle floor debris. She looks back at the bed and notices dirt smudges all over the beautiful white fabric.
She reaches for her magic again in the hopes of blowing the grunge off the fabric with a soft wind spell. Unlike before, when she could not reach it at all, this time it comes rushing into her like a hurricane. It roars through her body and promptly sets the bed on fire.
She shrieks in terror, dropping her connection to her magic in panic. She furiously reaches for it again, this time trying for a spell that will put the flame out.
Solas sprints into the room just as she manages to stop the waterfall she had accidentally conjured. The room smells of singed cloth, the bed is blackened and burnt, the floor is flooded. Everything is drenched, including herself, and she looks at Solas, her mouth agape in shock.
"I…thought my apology last night was enough, but it appears I was mistaken," utters Solas breathlessly as he takes in the damage. She turns a deep shade of crimson.
"I did not intend for this to happen," she pleads. "I—the magic was…a stronger brand than I have ever produced before."
He regards her for a moment before sweeping his hand across the room. She watches in awe as the water disappears and the sheets turn back to white before her eyes.
"You are rushing in like an angered druffalo. Magic requires nothing but a whim. It is a gentle stream you wade into, not a great river to be dammed."
"That is how Keeper Deshanna taught me to do it. It has always produced admirable effects before. I don't understand what's different this time." She looks distraught, uncertain.
"Perhaps magic is different where you are from?" Solas suggests thoughtfully. "Although I cannot imagine how it could be. Magic is a force to be reckoned with. It would take a lot to dampen it. If you truly are from a distant future…but I don't see how... Even if I succeed, it should have no effect…" He trails off, a look of consternation over his face.
"How can this be Arlathan? I thought it was a huge, sprawling city?" she inquires, interrupting his thoughts. His gaze returns to her.
"This is Arlathan Forest. We are in a secluded dwelling of mine at the southern fringe. Arlathan City lies due north, at the heart of the forest. If you had continued the direction you were running last evening, you would have reached it by midday today."
Comprehension dawns as she tries to recall the maps she had studied in her youth. If this is Arlathan Forest, that meant the Free Marches lay far to the south, and the Tevinter Imperium was due west, many leagues away.
"Do you know how to send me back?" she whispers, daring to hope.
His eyes fill with sorry. "Ir abelas. If I knew such magic, I would have already sent you home."
"So I'm stuck here forever?" she mourns as her eyes begin to fill with tears.
"I am afraid I do not know the nature of such spells. I could not say for sure. Perhaps we will find an answer."
"We?" She looks up and meets his stare. His expression is one of genuine concern.
"I would not leave you to an unfamiliar world. If we cannot find an answer, I can at least help you acclimate to this hour of Thedas."
"Are you…" She trails off, uncertain of how to phrase it. "Are you truly Fen'harel? The Fen'harel?"
"I am the only Fen'harel in this time…at least, there have been none before me. As for after, I cannot say. Perhaps someone in the intervening years took up the mantle?"
"Earlier, you acted like you knew what I spoke of. About…locking away the gods." She gasps as Solas lunges forward, grabbing her shoulders again, though not as roughly as before.
"You do not know me. But I ask that you speak of that future to no one. It is the one thing that has me convinced you speak the truth. None but my closest friends know of my plans, and they would sooner die than betray me. Please. I ask for your word."
She is still beneath his fingers as she searches the depths of his eyes. Finally, she nods.
"I owe you my life several times over. The least I can offer in return is my silence."
"I do not wish for you to feel indebted to me," he urges, squeezing her shoulders slightly.
She shakes her head. "No, that's not it. I want to return the favor of my own accord."
He is silent for a moment as he thinks over her words. Finally, seemingly satisfied, he releases her shoulders and steps back. Turning toward the hallway, he looks back over his shoulder.
"Would you like breakfast?"
NOTES:
Na laim, haolin? - Are you lost, little lamb?
Na min el'u'esaya o ara'lan? - Are you here to secret-see (spy) on me?
Ahnsul na min? Dirthera'ma! - Why are you here? Tell me!
Na ha'lam - You will die.
As'an ghest darena thena i've'an'sou sul'ara - The creature dares to use Fade-power (magic) against me.
Din - No.
Mesilde dharlin, ema'na laimem na'rahn'girem? - Pathetic little dog, have you lost your property?
Ar ver'asa, vasa'na - I will take her, you will go.
Min tel'ha'lam, Fen'harel - This is not over, Dread Wolf.
Ma nuven'in - As you wish.
I am using a combination of several dictionaries and lexicons to create my rendition of the Elvhen language.
Thank you all for your continued support! I really love writing this so much! I can't wait for you all to see what's in store for our favorite couple!
I will be posting the second half of Chapter One (The Sacrifice) from Solas' POV in the next few days. Keep an eye out!