AUTHORS' NOTES:
Flamewing: Well, cat's out of the bag on one of the two kids… so to speak. Thank you everyone who has been sticking with us through this story.
HerenyaHope: The big reveal is finally here! Took him long enough lol. Once again thank you everyone for following this wild trip.
SHOUTOUTS GO OUT TO: doctorwhofan12345, MackenzieTheHuntress, Ryuu no Sora, and everyone else who has faved, followed, and supported our story!
Chapter 20:
Solas stared at his daughter, uncertain he could believe his eyes and not sure of the emotions which filled him. He had a child. Dirthamen-his nephew hadn't been lying about her.
"I wanna go 'splorin," the girl said to the agent. She pouted, with lips identical to her mother's. "But mamae no let me. So, Aunt Franne go nappy and I go window, and now I pet the doggy!" She hopped up and patted the stone animal's head. "He good doggy."
Solas took a deep breath and stepped up to the agent. He knelt beside the girl. "Where is your mamae?" he asked and tried to ignore the fluttering in heart as he looked into eyes the same shade of blue as Nimwen's.
She blinked up at him. "Who you?"
"Just answer the question, dear," said Melda.
"She with Mahvy."
Mahvy? Who was Mahvy? "And do you know where he is?" Solas asked, assuming this person was even a he that was. His heart skipped a beat. This girl, his daughter could end up killed in what he was doing. The idea struck him harder than seeing her for the first time.
Instead of answering his question, the little girl looked at him quizzically. "You look like Mahvy!" She poked him on the nose. "Why you look like big brother?"
The question made Solas's blood turn to ice. Mahvy was Dirthamen. This meant Dirthamen was with Nimwen. A mixture of emotions crashed down on Solas. His nephew was with his heart still and had been with his daughter.
"You wanted to go exploring?" he asked his daughter.
Lori nodded.
Solas held out his hand. "We can explore a little; then, we'll return you to your mother," he lied. He wasn't going to let this precious child be harmed. He wouldn't-couldn't stand the idea of harming his own child.
Lori cocked her head to the side. "Who you? Mamae said no go with stranger!"
The word stuck Solas in the heart. "My name is Solas," he introduced himself. "If I look like your," he hesitated, "brother, am I really a stranger?" It was too weird calling his nephew his daughter's brother.
The girl seemed to ponder this, putting her little finger to her chin in thought. "I dunno, no?" she asked. "We go 'splore?"
"Yes. I promise."
"Yay! 'Splore! 'Splore!" She jumped up and hugged him. "Ma serannas, Sully. Mamae say you say that when people nice."
Solas's eyes widened when he heard her speak elvish. His eyes closed a little. "You're welcome, da'len." He stood and held out his hand to her. "Shall we?"
"Oki doki, Sully," she said, her tiny hand fitting into his larger one.
Solas led his daughter from the market and out of the city. "You'll see a place our People once went to on a daily basis," he told Lori as they walked.
"Like mamae's Dalish?" Lori asked.
"No, da'len, better."
"Sir, is it really necessary to take the little lady?" the agent whispered. "I mean, I know she's your daughter and all, but her Worship will be worried sick."
Solas felt his heart twist at the mention of Nimwen. He looked down at the little girl. His hand tightened a little around her's. He didn't want to harm her. Either of them. Yet, the idea of letting this little one go…
"I agree with him," said Melda. "No doubt the Inquisitor will come looking for her, and if she can trace the girl back to you," Melda sighed. "This will only cause trouble."
"My mamae the quiz-sitter!" Lori proclaimed proudly. "She save world and is a super neat hero!"
"Inquisitor, da'len," Solas corrected, but his heart swelled with warmth at hearing the way she viewed her mother.
An arrow hissed passed Solas's ear. He stopped and blinked. The next moment Dirthamen was standing several feet from them.
"Stop there, Fen'Harel!" snarled a voice behind Solas.
"Lower your bow, Vir, we're not here to attack them," Dirthamen stated.
"Stay where you are!" Melda snapped, drawing out two daggers.
"Mahvy!" Lori cried out. She looked around at all the weapons with confusion. "What happenin'?"
Solas moved the girl behind him, his eyes locked on his nephew. He kept his hand in Lori's. "Dirthamen," it was hard to keep the anger from his voice.
"I would greet you as is common for our People, but I do believe it would only end with a sneer from you, Solas. Lorien's mother is worried about her."
Solas's eyes narrowed. "Is that the real reason you're out here, evanuris?"
"What's a even-norris?" Lori asked.
Solas looked at his daughter. "A very bad person," Solas told her in gentle tones.
"Only you would call my master evil!" snarled Vir. "He protects all children."
"Vir." Dirthamen looked at the man behind them. "Enough. I did say we're not here to fight." He turned his dark eyes back on Solas. "I know what you're doing. You can't protect her from what you're going to do. It will destroy everything."
"Guard her," Solas told Melda.
"Yes, Lord Fen'Harel," the woman bowed.
"What going on?" Lori asked as Melda took her arm. "Mavhy?" There was growing distress in her voice.
"She is my daughter, I will protect her and reverse the curse I placed upon this world." Solas pulled out his staff as he walked towards Dirthamen.
"I am not the one who will try to get you to see reason, Solas. But this isn't the way to protect her."
Solas scowled. He twisted his staff around him lightning crackled from the tip.
Dirthamen had vanished from where he'd stood moments before. He stood several paces from where grass smoldered.
"Mahvy?!"
More of Solas's men appeared from the brush and surrounded their group.
"I see," Dirthamen stated. "You had your men following you all the while."
Solas looked at his nephew.
"I suppose your daughter being here isn't going to place a dampener on your plan then, Solas?"
Solas looked towards where Melda held Lori.
"Sully...daddy?" Lori looked at him with total confusion written on her young face.
Solas's heart twisted. He didn't even want Nimwen to see this side of him and his daughter was so young. His gaze snapped back to Dirthamen when he heard the sound of an ironbark dagger being drawn.
"I won't fight you before her." Dirthamen tossed his dagger and staff to the ground. He held up his hands.
"Master!" Vir shouted in disbelief.
"Drop your bow, Vir. No child should witness this."
Vir dropped his bow but he was spitting words of rage in elvish.
Solas didn't lower his staff. "Take them with us," he instructed his men, careful of his wording. "Watch Dirthamen's movement and make certain his bindings are tight."
"Mahvy, what going on?" Lori demanded.
"Everything will be alright, Princess." Dirthamen smiled at the girl as the elves moved behind him and wrapped his arms in rope.
Only once Solas saw the bindings where secure did he straighten and dare turn his back on Dirthamen. He walked back over to his daughter and Melda. "I got her, Melda," he told the girl.
"Why you tie Mahvy?" Lori put her hands on her hips. "That not nice!"
Solas couldn't stop a small smile from pulling at his lips. She looked so much like her mother just then it was hard not to smile. "One day you'll understand, da'len." He lifted her off the ground and held her in his arms. She was so tiny despite almost being three.
He started off towards where they were camped by the eluvian near here. He made certain Lori couldn't see "Mahvy," as she kept calling him, but close enough he could keep tabs on the group leading him and his sentinel towards the eluvian.
"Where we go?" Lori asked.
"To a safe place, da'len." He looked at her, his heart lighter than he remembered it being. It was harder to focus with her here. But he couldn't…
She turned to him, bright blue eyes looking at him intently. "I have that too," she said, poking his chin dimple.
Solas smiled at her. "Yes, you do, da'len." His eyes softened as he looked at her. He wrapped his hand around her small one, holding her still as if she were a baby.
"Mahvy too!" she said. "Right, brother?"
Dirthamen was out of earshot of them, for which Solas was grateful. Yet, the fact she kept calling Dirthamen "brother" didn't feel right to Solas. "He does, but he gets it from his father, my brother," Solas tried to explain. "You see, he's not your brother, but your cousin."
Lori scowled. "Nuh-uh," she shook her head. "Mahvy big brother, mamae say so. She say he have 'nother mamae though, but he special brother." She put her finger to her chin again. "He...ooh, ooh, I 'member! Mamae call him half brother," she beamed, seemingly proud of her recollection.
"I assure you, da'len, he isn't my son. He is my brother's." Solas couldn't understand why Dirthamen had told Nimwen he was Solas's son. Not unless it had been to gain Nimwen's trust.
They had arrived back at the camp around the eluvian. Solas moved so Lori would be guarded by several of his people before telling the guards to take Dirthamen through the eluvian. Vir was to remain in the camp under heavy guard.
Then Solas returned to his daughter. "Listen, da'len, I need to take care of some matters than we can get to know one another. Sound good?" he asked.
"I want Mahvy," Lori murmured, eyeing the other elf.
Solas managed to hide his scowl in a smile. "Mahvy," - he would never get used to calling his nephew that - "has the same matters to see to. Ir abelas, da'len." He soothed her soft hair.
"Where you goin', Mahvy?" she called out to him.
It was no use, Dirthamen had already been taken through eluvian and was now bound, waiting for Solas in a place within the crossroads. A place where Solas could seal his nephew and his nephew could never again try to harm the people.
"Everything will be fine, da'len," Solas promised her. He gave her a gentle hug. "I promise."
"Why he leave?" she whimpered.
"You will understand one day." Solas pulled away from her and stood. "Watch her carefully," he instructed the guards. "And play with her." He moved off to change back into his armor. There was no telling how much of a fight Dirthamen would put up.
"S-Sully, I no wanna 'splore no more!" Lori yelled. "I-I want mamae!"
Solas closed his eyes. Her shouts ripped into his heart but he had to ignore them. She would be safe. She would one day live in a world like the one he had always known. She would be real.
Solas moved through two eluvians once he was back in full armor. Melda was there. She and the other guards had tied Dirthamen to floor of the room within the crossroads.
Dirthamen just sat there, one leg under him. His eyes were closed; back straight. There was an eerie calm about him.
"He hasn't resisted yet," Melda told him. "Though, I question what he could be planning."
Solas approached his nephew. "Anything, if I know him."
Dirthamen's eyes opened a slit. "Perhaps I plan my own death."
Solas scowled.
"You mean to mock Lord Fen'Harel?" Melda demanded.
"Mock him?" Dirthamen tilted his head to one side. "I suppose the statement could have been taken as such. My apologies. Do you take offence, Solas?"
Solas's scowl depended. "You know what's about to happen and you're making jokes?" Just the lightness of Dirthamen's voice was worrying to Solas at this point.
"I knew, from the moment I first revealed myself to you, we would end up in this situation. I don't fear my death, Solas. I never have," his tone was now even.
"He means to trick you into sparing him," said Melda. "Should I have his mouth gagged?"
Dirthamen cocked an eyebrow at the girl, but didn't otherwise speak.
Solas looked at his nephew. To not fear death…? "No," he told Melda, "I want to hear what he has to say."
"Very well, my lord," Melda bowed.
"Tell me, why did you tell Nimwen and Lori you were my son?"
Dirthamen didn't reply. All he did was look up at Solas, eyes and face devoid of emotion.
"Now, you don't speak." Solas stepped towards his nephew. "Did you ever think on how it would affect them, telling that lie?"
"I am the monster. The one you wish to seal away, to take the power of, Solas. I did what I did, you can view it in whatever light you wish to." Dirthamen closed his eyes. "I've been ready to die for over twenty centuries."
Solas glared at his nephew. That wasn't an answer. "Not until you answer the question. She knows you're Dirthamen, why tell more lies?"
"It's what I do as far as you're concerned. Lie and manipulate the situation to my liking. Why not manipulate the people you're closest to?"
Whack - Solas's staff struck Dirthamen's face.
No sound escaped Dirthamen. He straightened, blood trickling from his mouth. His expression was an almost scary calm for someone who'd been struck. "But, wait, you don't view anyone as real in this world, do you, Solas?"
Solas felt his heart twist at the words. His mind flashed to Nimwen, to the people she'd helped, and to his daughter. "They're real enough."
"But not enough for you to spare?" Dirthamen asked.
"Silence." Solas slammed the bladed end of his staff into the leg Dirthamen had out to the side. He heard the the sound of bone breaking.
Dirthamen didn't even blink in reaction to his leg breaking or the blood pooling around him. "If the you of the past looked at the you of present, Solas, I wonder if you would find yourself staring at Elgar'nan."
Solas's eyes widened. He wasn't his brother! He would never enslave anyone. Never do what Dirthamen was implying by those words. Solas stepped forward. His finger touched Dirthamen's forehead.
"I am not my brother," each word was a growl.
Dirthamen's gaze was sad. "Perhaps not. No more so than I am Falon'Din. But, in some ways, you are more a monster now than Elgar'nan ever was." Dirthamen closed his eyes. A single tear rolled down his face. "End it."
"What will you do, Lord Fen'Harel?" Melda asked.
"What I always intended to do," Solas stated. He kept his fingers on Dirthamen's head and looked at his nephew.
Dirthamen didn't move, didn't open his eyes. His breathing even and calm.
Solas's hand shook. He could almost see the little boy he'd helped raise kneeling before him instead of one of the immortal, mage kings. No, Dirthamen was just as evil as the others. He needed to be locked away, to be powerless. To be trapped for all eternity!
Purple smoke like energy moved around Solas's fingertips. It was harder to draw out Dirthamen's powers than it had been Mythal's. Still, soon he would have the knowledge he needed to tear down the Veil.
All this pain, would come to an end.