The Cost of Pride

by megatoxic

Fallen finds herself in Thedas and is completely unprepared. Sure, she knows the story and she's played the game, but this is no game. This is life and death. Can The Dread Wolf help her or will he be her biggest enemy?

11. Lost Treasures

The Cost of Pride

Megatoxic

*Disclaimer: Bioware owns DA and its characters and themes. Fallen is mine, but completely inspired by my favorite RPG.*

[There's some more in game dialogue here and another POV switch. I've discovered that Fallen and Solas like to take over whenever they feel like it, and I'm simply along for the ride.]

Chapter 11: Lost Treasures

I looked at Solas and watched as he took a second to collect himself before responding to her, "Ma nuvenin, da'len," he finally responded with a hint of a condescending tone. When he called her 'da'len' it sounded nothing like when he used it for me. To my shock, he grabbed my hand and pulled me up to the blockage beside him. I was fascinated when I felt him pull from the fade and move the large rocks so easily. Mihris sniffed and moved past us briskly with her way cleared. Knowing what was inside gave me an intense sense of satisfaction and this was especially true when I heard her curse softly upon entering.

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me at her distress. Ellana winked at me and rushed in to help her followed by the other two. Solas raised an eyebrow at my amusement and I grinned back at him slyly, "I hope she stepped on a giant spider." He barked out a laugh and I allowed him to grab my hand again and pull me inside behind him. The others had quickly disposed of the two demons that had been waiting by the entrance. Ellana was sifting through some rubble at the end of the entrance hall and my attention immediately went to the empty bracket on the wall that looked as if it was missing a torch. It seemed to be buzzing slightly as if it remembered what fire felt like. I detached my hand from Solas' and approached it mesmerized.

"Afraid of the dark are you alas da'len?" Mihris asked spitefully from behind me. This was something I didn't understand. I knew what 'da'len' meant, but I was unsure what 'alas' meant. It didn't take looking at Solas and Ellana's angry faces to know that this was some sort of insult. I was not going to prance around the subject with the bitch and quite frankly I was tired of just taking shit from her. "Do you have a problem with me?" I asked her boldly.

By the look on her face, I was guessing that she never thought I'd actually ask her that question. Did people like me really just take that shit all the time? "I have no problem with you in particular. In fact, I'm more upset with your parents for creating you. Surely, they would have known you would be tainted. As it is, you will never fit in anywhere," she answered in a tone as if she was explaining the weather outside and not another living creature with feelings. My temper flared and with it my magic, "Oh, well I'm so sorry we can't all be pure elven such as you." She sneered back at me aggressively, "Yes, what a shame." I raised my hand to strike her and I stepped forward in her direction and a gauntleted hand stilled my arm. I followed it to meet Cassandra's dark eyes. "That is what she wants," she whispered to me soothingly. My cheeks blazed red in anger as I lowered my hand. I knew the three elves in the area had heard the seeker's whispered words.

"Solas," I redirected turning my back on the Dalish bigot and staring intently at the bracket again, "What is this? It's almost like I can hear and feel a buz coming from it." He moved close to me and I felt his chest touch my back lightly. He was so warm and a faint hint of elfroot hit my nose. It reminded me of mint or eucalyptus. "It is vielfire da'len. It was used by ancient elves to convey hidden messages and light the way to many hidden discoveries," his voice soothed my frayed nerves a bit, and I tilted my head back in his direction. "Show me please hahren?" I asked softly. He gently took my right hand and passed it over the bracket causing it to light up in a bright green flame. I was also able to feel his power through our connection and how he wove the spell to light it.

A smile came over my face, and when I had taken the vielfire from the wall the light illuminated Solas' face briefly. I couldn't interpret the look it revealed on his face momentarily. "See Chuckles, I told you Halfling was an easy enough girl to amuse," Varris piped up with a laugh. I giggled again and turned my attention to him, "Be careful Varric. Something tells me this stuff burns. It's magical ya know." He put his hands up defensively and took a step back, "Oh no you don't. I've already told you two to keep your magical shit to yourselves." An irritated voice broke through our banter, "We should continue on." Mihris turned her back to us and started down and entrance to the left. Ellana rolled her eyes, "Of course, do lead the way." The two Dalish disappeared that was with Cassandra behind them and Varric went right with Solas and I.

We stepped into a cathedral looking area and I gasped at the feeling of the room. There was no doubt in my mind that this was once a very magical and special place. I could feel that pull on my senses again and the urge to locate the source pushed me forward. Of course, a few steps into the room and demons and wraiths appeared to slow us down. I was only vaguely aware that we killed them swiftly because at this point the pull was almost painful. "Da'len?" Solas asked softly from my side. I could tell he was worried so I gave him a reassuring smile, "I can feel your artifact. It's calling to me."

The pull led me to the end of the hall to a rail of some sort. A vase with a skull and candle on top were to the right and slightly to the left was the artifact. It was round with the oddest cubed shapes coming out the sides. There was nothing extraordinary about it other than the feeling it was giving me. I reached out with my hand without thinking and pushed my mana down and into the device. There was a clicking sound that reminded me of a lock being turned, and then the device lit up. The pull stopped and I let out a breath in relief. "Very good. The veil will be stronger here now," Solas said proudly while directing the oddest look my way. It looked as if he couldn't decide if he wanted to hug me or yell at me.

I turned to look at the others and I found them all staring at me. Solas had a proud smirk now and the others all had a varying array of wonder and fear laid bare for me to see. I felt a moment's concern that Mihris was nowhere to be seen and then she spoke up. "Well it looks as if the ancestors have left something for me as well," she said in a greedy tone. I spotted her next to a broken pot with a golden amulet in her hand. "What is it?" Ellana asked curiously. Her beautiful red hair was escaping its braid and she had demon ichor on her clothes. She was still beautiful though and I pushed down my irrational blossom of envy. "It is an amulet of power," Solas supplied evenly. Mihris looked his way viciously, "Our need for each other is done. Good luck on your endeavor with the hole in the sky. You look as if you'll need it." Solas barely batted an eyelash before responding to her, "Ma halani, ma glandival. Vir enasalin." I had heard this line in the game before, but I had never bothered to look up its meaning. I found myself wishing I had. Mihris hesitated for about half a second before glancing at Ellana and then back at Solas, "I… perhaps you're right. Here. Take it." She placed the amulet into Solas' outstretched hand and then very quickly made her retreat.

He turned to hand the amulet to Ellana, "Here Herald take it and use it as you will." She shook her head and stepped back, "No Solas, you have earned it. I also need to apologize to you and Fallen for her treatment of you both. In no way does she represent how all Dalish feel." Solas' eyes looked very sad as he responded with, "I wish I could believe that Herald, but my personal experiences have told me otherwise." She looked at me pleadingly and I gave her a small smile," I don't have much experience with the Dalish, but I know you don't feel that way about me lethallan." "I for one and shocked," Cassandra interjected. "Any elf I have ever met has wanted better for their people." Varric looked on sagely, "Thing about that is everyone defines who their 'people' are differently." I felt anger in my tone as I joined in the conversation, "Wouldn't it be better if everyone realized that we are all capable of feeling the same things? That would make us all equal." "It would indeed da'len," Solas answered softly.

After an hour had passed, we were back on the road to Haven. We were all relatively silent and each in our own thoughts. Then I started giggling uncontrollably at a realization I had just had. Ellana looked back at my curiously with wide eyes, "What in the world is so funny?" Meanwhile, I had bent over and was holding my knees to keep myself from falling because I was laughing so hard. "Okay, well we've lost her," Varric joked. They had stopped as well, and were all three watching me skeptically. I wiped a tear from my eye and addressed Solas, "It just occurred to me that you spoke to her almost entirely in elven." The others looked extremely confused, but Solas only chuckled. I continued on, "She was basically giving you shit about being a lesser elf than her and yet I think she said maybe two words in the language." He tilted his head to the side regarding me, "I have learned that the best way to make someone feel small-minded is to give them something to think about later. Something that will make them second guess their stance." His words broke my laughter and forced a sense of seriousness to fall over me. After all, that was something I was hoping to do to him. "I will remember that in the future," I replied seriously. I could sense his and the other's confusion as my mood had changed so suddenly, but I was now worrying about my future here in Thedas.

*-*-*

When we finally saw the gates to Haven, I let out a long breath that I did not even know I was holding. After the experience with the Dalish wanderer and Fallen with my device, I needed the change. I could finally do some catching up with my agents and do more research in the fade about the breach and my foci. Fallen and the Herald were of the same mind apparently because they looked at each other and squealed "Bath!" at the same time before running up the steps to the gate. I shook my head slightly after them. "Ah, to be young and carefree," Varric joked pointing in their direction. "Good hygiene practices do not have an age limit Varric," I joked back good-naturedly. "Oh! You wound me!" he exclaimed while grabbing his chest dramatically. "I must check in with the others," Cassandra said dryly as she strode past us headed for the Chantry. I left Varric by his tent and hurried to my, our, cabin. It was gloriously empty and just as we had left it.

I quickly put my things away and got a fire going. Through our bond, I could sense that Fallen was content and happy which put me more at ease. I could go seek out an agent knowing that she was okay. I suppose that I should have been concerned by that thought, but I was beginning to accept the bond as a part of myself. No use fighting something that is inevitable. Once the fire was going good and the space was getting nice and warm, I grabbed a long dark cloak out of my dresser and pulled it on. The inside was lined with wolf pelt and I found it extremely comforting and warm if a bit morbid considering my real identity. A quickly spell cast over myself would make me nearly invisible and likely to be forgotten if seen, and a rune on the pads of my feet would keep my feet from making prints in the snow.

I made my way down and out of Haven. At the gates, I waited until a servant passed out of them and I followed closely behind her. She looked around startled as I passed by her and headed to the right passing the soldiers and remaining Templars. The mountains were silent and I felt at peace for the first time in days. After a few minutes, I reached for my jawbone and called out. I was seeking Kalen as he was my best agent since I had awoken, and I also needed to speak with him concerning Fallen.

I had to wait quite a bit for him to join me, but after roughly half an hour I saw him approaching from the direction of Haven. Once he was close enough, I removed my concealment spell and he bowed to my slightly before speaking, "Aneth ara, Fen'Hahrel." "Kalen, please tell me you have good news," I stated eagerly. He smiled, but it was a tight one. "We have located more of your artifacts as you had requested," he removed a map from the inside of his scout coat and handed it to me. "The ones located so far are marked on this map. We still have nothing on Fallen or your foci, but we believe that there is still hope." He looked at me with loyalty written all over his face, "We will not give up the search. We want the rise of our people once more." I reached out and squeezed his shoulder in comradery, "And so we shall persevere."

After letting go of his shoulder, I placed my hands behind my back and redirected him, "Now we must discuss something else Kalen." "Anything my lord," he replied earnestly. I waved away the title and dove in, "I will be getting closer to Fallen. I intend to gain her trust however I must, and then make her an unknowing agent. Her position with the Herald could be very valuable." The younger elf did not miss a beat, "You will seduce her." I inclined my head slightly in his direction, "If I must." Kalen seemed to accept this information casually, but I knew enough of deceit to tell her was bluffing and this bothered him.

"I will tell the other agents. We will make sure she is watched and protected," he stated. "It bothers you?" I asked curiously. He shifted his weight and looked at the ground, "Ir abelas." "Do not be," I supplied readily. "I honestly do not relish hurting her as this eventually will. Please know that I do not do it lightly. She still has the blood of the people in her veins and despite her unknown past I can recognize a good person when I see one," I said. Kalen met my stare, "She is not like other women I have met." I laughed, "It might do you some good that she turned you down." The tips of his ears tinged pink slightly and I patted him on the back. "All good things with time. Return now before you are missed and keep up the work," I commanded. "Dareth shiral," he responded with a bow and turned back toward Haven. I really needed to break all of my agents from that nonsensical bowing. It reminded me of darker days.

I was getting ready to conceal myself again when my senses were interrupted by an intense flash of anger. An anger that was quickly followed by an equal measure of fear. It took me a second to process that I was feeling Fallen's emotions and that they were more intense than normal. I quickly concealed myself and fade stepped back into Haven. While passing the templars, several reached for their swords, but with not being able to see me they really would not do much good. Luckily, the gate was open and before I knew it I was in front of my residence. I planned to go in and cast off my spell and cloak so that I could go to her.

I was so focused on this plan that I did not sense her emotions getting closer and when I slipped into the door I was surprised to find her in front of my side of our shared dresser. She whipped around at the door opening and closing with a startled expression on her face. I realized that she could not see me of course and I noticed that her face was wet with tears. Her washed and drying hair was down over her shoulders and breasts. She was wearing a black long sleeved tunic with dark green leggings. Even with her face marred by tears and conflicting emotions she was lovely to me.

She seemed to accept that she might have imagined the door moving on its own and she turned her attention to the objects in her hands. She was holding the strange keys and the flower patterned object that was in her pockets when I had healed her. I could see my drawer open behind her and I felt a flash of my own anger at her for going through my things. Her smile voice broke through my anger, "Why? Why would he hide them? He hasn't said anything to me about them." She looked at my bed as if it might answer her in my stead. She gathered her lost treasures to her chest and surprised me when she climbed into my bed. She curled herself around my pillow and closed her eyes. She had not set any wards as I had taught her to do, but still I felt her slip into the fade.

Translations

Ma nuvenin, da'len: As you wish, little child

Alas da'len: dirt child (slur for half-bloods)

Da'len: little child; little one

Hahren: elder; leader

Ma halani, ma glandival. Vir enasalin.: Help me, in good faith. This is the path to victory.

Lethallan: someone with whom one is familiar

Aneth ara: friendly greeting

Ir abelas: I'm sorry

Dareth shiral: Safe journey

Resource

http/dragonage./wiki/Elven_language