The Cost of Pride
Megatoxic
*Disclaimer: I do not own any Bioware/DA characters. I am simply an avid fan with a day dream about her favorite RPG game.*
Chapter 5: A More Noteworthy Halfling
After the situation with the curtains, I knew that going back to sleep was not an option. So there I was, on the training grounds with Solas and maybe three hours of sleep under my belt... if that. This was going to be a fun experience. A servant had brought three new outfits to me this morning and two of the said outfits were for training purposes. I had to admit though the I was much more comfortable this way than I woud've been otherwise. The pants were black and form-fitting, but made of a soft and breathable material. The top reminded me of a t-shirt, but it was made of the same amazing material as the pants. It was also much longer than a regular t-shirt, and it was a dark hunter green. I paired the outfit with the black boots Cassandra had acquired for me the day before. I had thought I would be cold with no sleeves in these mountains, but with the way my teacher was pushing me I was glad for the cold air on my exposed skin.
We were training close to Cullen and Cassandra's usual hangouts in the game. The space across from where Iron Bull would be, but I was assuming the Herald had not recruited him yet. I had tried to glance nonchalantly down to see if Blackwall was near his cabin, but I had been unable to get a clear shot and I didn't want Solas to have another reason to be suspicious of me. I had caught a glimpse of Cullen's blonde hair a few times, and Cassandra kept periodically walking around her training dummies to keep an eye on us mages I'm sure. Considering her last lover had been a mage, I would have pictured her as being more understanding.
"Fallen have you been listening to me?" Solas asked in an exasperated voice that drew me from my thoughts and back to the task at hand. "Ma serannas, we have been going for hours now and I feel like I haven't accomplished a thing." I shook my sweaty head full of curls in frustration, "this is not looking good Solas." "You are simply too distracted. You are close, but you must harness your willpower," Solas replied evenly and doing that signature thing of his where he puts his hands behind his back. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply through my nose. I forced myself to imagine a wall as he had suggested, from within myself, and then pushed it outwards. "Open your eyes Fallen," when I did as he instructed I could see what appeared to be a clear film around myself. It made everything outside of it appear slightly warped. I had done it! I had created a barrier!
I felt the first effortless smile form on my face since I had landed in Thedas, and when I looked at Solas I saw him smile for the first time too. I felt my heart beat faster at the sight and my stomach squirm. Absolutely not, do not even go there crazy, I thought to myself sternly. Solas was completely unaware of my internal struggle, "Very good! It actually looks pretty stable as well. I'm going to test it now, and do not be afraid. If I break your barrier I am an excellent healer." "Now wait just a dang... " had barely left my lips when the first spear of ice shot from his hands and hit my barrier. I gasped and flinched out of instinct, but I felt nothing and my barrier surprisingly did not give. Solas gave me a wicked smirk that made heat pool in places I had long thought dead, "Keep up if you can." Than he really started testing me. He shot ice spears and fireballs at me very quickly giving me no time to adjust between the two. Still, my barrier held. So he tried a new tactic that finally cracked it. He shot a fireball at my chest and then fade stepped so he was suddenly at my back, which surprised me, and broke my barrier with one of his ice spears.
I tried to take it as gracefully as I could, but the spear hit me in the middle of my back and it hurt like blazes! I had fallen to my knees and I felt his hand on my back gently sending healing magic to my inflicted area. My skin reacted again and I faint static again, but this time I also felt something else when his magic touched me. I felt power. I could sense what had to be his mana and it felt warm, welcoming, and strong. As if I could bask in it forever and never have to leave it ever again. I was absolutely amazed at how enticing it was. Solas stiffened suddenly and pulled his hands back to himself quickly. I could tell that he somehow knew what I had sensed from him, but there was a conflicted look on his face that seemed familiar to me for some reason. A loud whistle broke our eye contact followed by a very familiar voice, "Well would you look at that. Chuckles finally has a woman sleeping with him and this is how he treats her."
I turned around with burning cheeks to meet Varric Tethras. I sensed Solas stand up behind me and he held out his hand to help me up as well, "Varric we are training as you can see. I have a very short amount of time to teach her much and... " "Oh don't worry Chuckles, I'm sure before all is said and done our newest addition will have learned plenty from you," Varric broke Solas off quickly and smoothly. I didn't think my cheeks could get any redder and I felt like melting into the nearest snow bank. The dwarf was very much like his game counterpart, and the impressive chest hair was on full display, "Our relationship ain't like that. Solas is simply guarding me as instructed and helping me harness my abilities. I have only recently come into my magic." "If you say so, but know this I have yet to be wrong about these things, and I will be keeping notes for my future works," Varric replied earnestly. "Master Tethras is there something that we can help you with?" Solas inquired with a definite touch of irritation in his voice. "Well, you've been pushing your lovely companion for about six hours now, and I was coming to see if she'd like to go down to the tavern for a bit. You know, it might do her some good to eat today and relax for a minute," Varric nodded in my direction and my stomach chose then to growl very loudly.
"Very well, I will come and fetch you in two hours time to continue Fallen," Solas said briskly, "and Master Tethras as a member of the Inquisition I am turning her over to your custody for now. Be sure that you do not lose her or Cassandra will fight Leliana over your hide." With that having been said, Solas turned swiftly and made his way back towards Haven like his ass was on fire. "Well, that have you been doing to Chuckles down here Halfling?" Varric asked with curiosity. "Halfling?" I deflected smoothly. As he started leading me back into Haven Varric explained, "See I give everyone nicknames because it makes them more noteworthy, and your the first half-elf-half-human that I ever met who looked so... well... half-elf-half-human." I walked quietly beside him for a minute before asking what was really on my mind, "Do I really look it that much?" Varric raised his eyebrows in surprise before turning his head my way, "Well yes to be honest with you. If I hadn't seen your ears Halfling I would just assume you were an elf. Now, granted an elf with a little more curves than normal." He looked me up and down at that last part and had stopped because we were now at The Singing Maiden. I looked at the door nervously. There was a lot of noise coming from inside, and I had never managed myself well in crowds. "Oh come on then," Varric grabbed my elbow and pulled me towards the door, "You'll be fine. Besides, I know for a fact Flissa makes a mean nug sandwich." I must have made a funny face at that because Varric died with laughter after taking a glance in my direction.
Seven hours later, and I was dying on the training grounds with Solas again. I could hold one mean barrier that even the wolf had to agree was was pretty impressive given I was only one day in, and I could now throw fireballs from my hands which I was completely thrilled about. I needed to work on my aim a bit, but I was willing to take the progress. Neither Solas or I acknowledged the incident earlier where I heard accidently tapped into his power. I was still finding it hard to believe that it felt that vast especially since in the Tresspasser DLC he had mentioned how weak he was when he first awoke. I couldn't even begin to imagine what he would have felt or been like in his height of power as Fen'harel. Speaking of feeling weak, my own mana had certainly died down for the day and I was feeling it physically as well. I was weak, tired, and sweaty. Mages were much more physical than I thought and I wasn't even using a staff yet.
As if reading my thoughts Solas chimed in, "That should do for today. It will only get easier from here." He looked toward the dining skyline before looking back towards me, "There is some left over stew would you like to go back and I could warm it up for us?" I was thinking that sounded great, but that I would really love a bath when another familiar person read my mind, "That sounds great old man, but I'm sure she'd probably like a bath first." I followed the voice to meet the bright green eyes of the Herald who had walked over to us. She was wearing training gear herself and looked sweatier than I felt. Her red hair was pulled up in a braided bun on top of her head. I would've gladly eaten my left foot to be able to look as effortlessly beautiful as Ellana Lavellan. She was looking at me expectantly, "Well, what do you think? Do you want to go to the bathhouse with me?" She meet my gaze slyly, "Unless Solas was going to take you?" I felt my cheeks burn red again and when I glanced at Solas I was actually surprised to see that the tips of his ears were pink as well. "NO!" we both practically screamed at the same time. The Herald giggled and grabbed my hand, "Well, we had best be off then. Catch you later hahren!"
The Herald and I had gathered some clean clothes from our different current residencies and then we found ourselves soaking in the hot spring. She had also brought some heavenly scented hygiene products that she said were Dalish and she was willing to share. She even said that she would send for some more so I could have my own. Bless her heart, she was perfect. Thankfully, it was just us on the women's side. She had let her long hair down and I had brushed it out for her. In return, she promised to braid my hair after our bath, and she made me promise to call her Ellana. I had also noticed as we got in that she was completely hairless like me in all the same places. Her body was more lithe and lightly muscled than my own, but that particular similarity stuck out given recent conversations. "Can I ask you something?" I couldn't help but break our comfortable silence because I was so curious.
Ellana lifted her head up from the side of the pool and opened her eyes, "Of course lethallan, ask away." "Why have you been so kind to me? Even now, you call me lethallan and you barely know me. Even Solas has told me he does not trust me or believe me," I could not seem to help the tears that fought their way to the surface as I spoke. Ellana considered me for a moment before responding and as she ran her hands through the water I noticed for the first time that her marked hand was lighting up our water. "I too know what it is to be in a scary and dangerous situation that no one understands. Also, I know how it feels to be looked down on for your race. I feel for you because you experience this from both the humans and the elves." She sighed, "I can't imagine what it must be like to have to add magic into that mix. I have no friends here Fallen and neither do you. Perhaps together we won't be so alone?" She looked so innocent, young, and earnest that I wondered how old she was to be dealing with all this shit. "Okay Ellana Lavellan, friends it is then," and both of us burst into giggles at our broad smiles which then led to a rather intense water fight. She won by a long shot. A word to the wise, never pick a water fight with a Dalish elf.
After getting clean, Ellana walked with me to the cabin that was for Solas and I. As I raised my hand to knock, the door opened and an elven man wearing the armour of one of Leliana's scouts stepped out. His brown eyes widened in surprise. "Herald," he bowed to Ellana, "and... " he raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner at me. "Fallen, my name is Fallen, and you are?" I asked boldly. The man laughed with mischief lighting up his eyes, "I am Kalen. I am an agent of the Inquisition. A friend of mine was hurt on the field and Solas had an herb I need to tend to him. Imagine my pleasure at getting to meet such a lovely creature as well." Ellana giggled at my expense beside me as my cheeks flared up again today for what I hoped was the last time. I heard someone clear their throat loudly and I saw Solas come up to the door behind Kalen, "Are you ready to eat Fallen?" "Yes, I am. Goodnight Ellana," I gave her a quick hug, "and thanks for the braids." I pointed to the two french braids tucked behind either ear on my head. They both ended just below my shoulders. "It was no problem lethallan, see you tomorrow!" With that, she was gone. Kalen bowed to both Solas and I and sauntered off. Solas moved to let me by him, and as he shut the door I smirked to myself. It would appear that the wolf was already on the hunt. If I had a bottom dollar, I would be willing to bet it on Kalen being an Agent of Fen'harel, and no amount of his flattery would change my mind.
Translations:
ma serannas: my thanks
hahren: elder
lethallan: someone with whom one is familiar
Resource:
http/dragonage./wiki/Elven_language