AUTHOR'S NOTE: Herenya: The end is near my friends. Sorry posting has been a little slow. Just started my first year of college and it's been a bit of a whirlwind getting used to everything.

SHOUT OUTS GO OUT TO: teamhalo13, merm307, carelesslazy, and all you wonderful people who have supported us on this crazy ride!

Chapter 21:

"For the last time, yellow hair. She has yellow hair!" Nimwen snapped. In all honestly, she shouldn't have been surprised at the results of trying to get information in a whore house. Sera, however, had been persuasive, quite persuasive actually. Persuasive enough Nimwen was actually convinced that she may find information of her daughter's whereabouts at the Pearl. Now, however, her confidence was as shrivelled as this man's liver surely was.

"So…'old on, why you 'ere?" the drunkard slurred.

Nimwen groaned. "Sera, this is pointless."

"Fine, fine, we still can ask One-eyed Pete. He knows everything, sees everything."

"His name is One-eyed Pete, Sera!"

"Don't mean he can't see stuff. He still got one!"

"I can't believe this." With her head in her hands, Nimwen slumped down in one of the shoddy booths. "My baby is gone and I'm in a whorehouse," she cried out of frustration. "How am I supposed to find one elf girl in all of Denerim?!"

"Hey, now." Sera sat down beside her and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find her. But we gotta keep lookin', yeah? We can't expect the answer to just chuck in through the window."

As if on cue, a loud thunk sounded at the window. A dark shape slid down it before smoke appeared and, the next second, a raven was shaking itself inside the room. "Damned windows, never see the things 'til they hit you in the beak," it was Fear. He flapped over to Nimwen and landed on the table. "As I was saying before that window so rudely interrupted me." he shook his head, fluffing his feathers. "Mortal Soft Shoulder, Solas has Dirthamen!" he shrieked, red eyes wide.

"What?!" Nimwen yelled.

"Wait, hold on, who's Dirth-what-it?" Sera asked.

"Mahvir!"

"But, his name is Mahvi-"

"Where are they, what's he doing with him?" Nimwen demanded, cutting Sera off.

"Oh, yeah, and less important, but still important to a mortal soft shoulder like you, the wolf also has the cake mortal. Little one, light hair, smears cake all over her pink fleshy face. That one."

"Lori? Solas has Lori too?"

"Whoa, holy shit."

Nimwen felt her blood go icy, her heart pounding. "Where are they?"

"Hold on, that thing's a bird, right-?"

"Where are they, Fear?" Nimwen demanded.

Fear fluffed himself up, an almost smug look on his face. He flapped up to Nimwen's shoulder, "Out the door, Mortal Soft Shoulder!" He pointed with his beak.

"Sera, go back to the inn and tell Cullen what's happened," Nimwen said to the rogue.

"Hold up, you're going to follow a bird?"

"Yes, I am, and this bird is going to help me get my children back," Nimwen retorted. "Now, go to Cullen as fast as you can."

Without waiting to see if Sera replied, Nimwen ran out of the Pearl. "Where to, Fear?" she asked.

Fear took off from her shoulder. The demon led her through the winding streets and out of the city.

"About time you got her, oaf!" Deceit's white feathers flashed as she joined them.

"On the hill!" Fear told her as he flew ahead. "Dirthamen is within the crossroads now, I fill the energy through my feathers."

Nimwen panted as she followed the two birds. She felt the weight of Shockmaw on her back, and was grateful she'd gone back to the inn to grab it. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling she might need it, and was sad to think she might need it against Solas…

'No,' she shook her head. It wouldn't come to that, but if it did, she had to put Lori and Mahvir above all else. No matter how much it would hurt her, Nimwen's children would always come before her own desires. Soon Denerim was behind her, and she was racing up the hills behind Fear and Deceit.

"How much farther?" she called out.

The moment she crested the hill she saw a camp resting around an eluvian.

"That should answer that!" Fear shot forward. His claws struck the closest elf.

Deceit joined him and the two ravens battled the poor guard to the ground. Blood spilled from under the guard's helm, his cries of pain filled the air.

Nimwen took Shockmaw from her back. It felt good to hold her staff in two hands once more. She twisted it, looking for any other signs of danger.

The elves raced from the tents and towards the sounds of guard's cries.

Fear looked up from the now silent guard, his peak dripping with blood. He shot into the air, shrieking, "Know Fear!" Darkness swallowed one of the nearest elves.

Several paused, but others turned towards Nimwen. "She commands it, kill-" The shout was cute short by an arrow through the elf's neck.

More arrows hailed down on the group from several directions.

Nimwen had no time to see who was firing. She summoned a wave of frost, freezing an oncoming fighter. An archer she shot with a bolt from Shockmaw, another taken out with a stonefist. Before she had a chance to fight more, the rest had been taken out by the unknown assailants.

"Who are you?" Nimwen demanded, circling with her staff raised.

Several figures moved from the shadows of the camp. The leader lowered her hood. "So we meet again," stated a familiar voice. The elf folded her arms across her chest then barked at one of the others, "Get that fool Vir freed from his bindings and hit him for me. He let Dirthamen get taken without a fight." She then turned to another of the elves. "Tell the one with girl he can come out now, the fighting is over."

Both bowed to her and raced off.

"Aneth ara, Atisha," Nimwen said to the sentinel.

"This is far from a safe place," Atisha stated in reply. She turned her gaze back to the two as they returned. She then struck Vir over the head with her bow. "You idiot! You were supposed to protect Master not let the wolf take him!"

Vir ducked and guarded his head. "Ir abelas. He ordered me to lower my bow. What was I to do?"

Atisha glared at him. "Fight to keep him free."

"Forget it, where is Mahvir and Lori?" Nimwen asked.

"The da'len is here." One of the elves stepped forward. He held Lori in his arms. "Seems your mamae came after you, da'len."

"Mahvir was taken through the eluvians. I overheard the higher ups in the group saying something about Fen'Harel finishing what was started twenty centuries ago," another of the sentinels said. "The two ravens can find him." He nodded to where Fear and Deceit were moving between the corpses.

"Lori!" Nimwen cried as she raced to her daughter.

"Mamae!"

Nimwen scooped the girl into her arms, holding her tight to her chest. "Oh, baby I'm so sorry, mamae won't ever let you go I swear."

"Mamae, too tight."

"What-oh." Nimwen realized how hard she was holding Lori, combined with her new metal arm. "Ir abelas." she said as she loosened her hold.

"Mamae, Sully took Mahvy," a teary Lori said. "He no say what happen, but I want Mahvy."

"We're going to get him back, don't worry, da'len," Nimwen assured her.

"I thought Sully nice, but he scare me," Lori murmured.

"Oh, sweetie…" Nimwen felt a hammer to her heart. Why did it have to be this way? In another world… "Don't worry, Lori, this is all going to be over soon."

"Guard the eluvian," Atisha barked orders at some of the sentinels. "Vir, you're coming with me." She turned.

A shriek filled the air and was mirrored by another. The two ravens leapt into the sky, feathers fluffed. "Hurt, hurt, his leg, broken, bleeding, pain!" Fear cried out.

"Fenedhis," Atisha spat the curse.

"You," Nimwen said as she approached one of the sentinels. "Take her, don't let her out of your sight."

"M-mamae?" Lori stammered as she was handed to the man.

"It's going to be okay, da'len," Nimwen said, stroking her daughter's hair. "I'll be right back, so, you be good, okay?"

"No, mamae no go!" Lori pleaded.

Nimwen forced herself to turn away, to block out the sounds of the girl's cries. She joined Atisha and Vir, Shockmaw held tight in her grasp. "Let's go," she said, voice steeled.

Atisha nodded. "Fear, Deceit," her voice was polite to the two ravens. "Will you guide us to Master?"

Fear shot through the eluvian, Deceit behind him.

Atisha followed the birds through.

"Never thought I would return to the crossroads," Vir whispered before he stepped through as well.

Nimwen grunted in reply. The crossroads were very much how she remembered them. The twisting paths and vivid colors created a wondrous scene. However, she could no longer appreciate it, not after her experiences there. "Keep your guard up," she told the other elves. She started down the path eyes peeled for signs of attack.

Atisha gave her a sidelong look. She had already notched an arrow and was moving after the ravens.

"This way. Hurry, hurry!" Fear called back to them.

"I don't think she likes you giving the orders," Vir whispered to Nimwen as they followed after.

"At this point, I don't really care," Nimwen responded.

Suddenly an arrow flew just passed Nimwen's head.

"Guards around the eluvian!" Atisha called back to them. "Vir, create a distraction."

Vir rushed forward, firing arrows as he went.

Atisha moved to one side. A path grew at her feet as she raced around to another platform. The path vanished behind her. Then she reappeared from above, firing down on the guards before she landed between them. She wrapped her bow around one's neck. A soft pop sounded.

Nimwen wasted no time. With a wave of her staff, she sent a stream of ice that smashed into a line of archers. She fought with more ferocity than she had in years. She would not be held up by these sentries. They were nothing. They would not stand between her and her family.

"Leave!" she yelled, sending a stonefist into another guard's head. "Let me through!"

Untapped rage surged through her. Rage at these pest in her way. Rage at Solas who would tear apart his own family. Rage at herself for not being able to stop him. Rage at the world for making her family broken.

With an animalistic shout, she called upon Pull of the Rift to force the remaining guards together. She finished them all with a blizzard so strong it left them nothing but frozen statues. "Move!" she snapped to her companions.

Atisha raced through the eluvian. Fear and Deceit behind her. Vir switched to his daggers and moved after them.

Nimwen sprinted down the path, her breaths coming out in pants. They finally entered a new room. When she saw the new line of defenders all she thought was: 'Attack!'

"Get out of my way!" she yelled, shooting frost and lightning as one.

Atisha and Vir were at her side. Atisha fired arrow after arrow on the new group. Vir darted forward, slashing through the enemies as a blur.

At the far end of the room a familiar figure stood, his back to them. Purple smoke was moving out around Solas. He looked over his shoulder, the movement slow. One of his eyes was glazed as if he couldn't really see what was happening or having problems focusing. The other gave off a soft purple glow.

"Dirthamen!" Fear shot towards Solas. "Release him, Wolf!"

Solas's lifted his hand. Magic caught Fear. The raven shrieked in rage as he was blasted back.

At once, her fiery anger disappeared, blown away as if by her own blizzard. In its wake was a cold horror. "You're killing him!" she shrieked. All she saw tattered robes, glowing eyes. Her family dying before her. "Stop it, Solas!" she begged. "Stop it, please! He's your son!"

As if struck by a shock, Solas staggered back from Mahvir. He collapsed, hands pressed his ears and nails drawing blood. A scream tore from Solas's lips. Raw magic exploded out from him, rushing through room.

* ~ x ~*

Time seemed to stop around Solas. He felt as the power poured into him. He could hear the echo of fighting behind and turned his head. His eyes fell over an empty space then shadows of people appeared, ghosts, not there; yet, there in the same instance. What was this?

He turned his gaze back on Dirthamen. His nephew's eyes were lidded as more energy poured from him into Solas. He couldn't pull the power faster. Then, Solas felt ringing pierce his ears. His vision blurred and buckled.

Solas blinked. No longer was he standing in the same place as before. Energy raced across the sky far more powerful than when the breach happened. This was - Solas's eyes widened - it was his plan seceding. He was watching as the world was ripped apart. Then the images faded and he was looking at Dirthamen once more. His fingers were still pressed to his nephew's forehead.

Dirthamen's breathing was labored, his skin ghostly, but not yet the shade of obsidian it would become when all the power was drained from him. Sweat dripped from Dirthamen's face.

Solas's vision buckled again. The world he looked over was no longer the one he had seen before. It was barren land, Spirits twisted to demons, skeletons moved, but there was no sign of elvhen life anywhere.

"This is the future which awaits if you continue down this path," Dirthamen's voice echoed around Solas, weak and frail. "Believe what you will of me, but this. There is no future here for the People or for you."

Solas blinked and turned. It wasn't true. Nimwen- The second he thought of her, he was watching as the world tore her and Lori apart. No! It was a trick.

Dirthamen appeared back before him. But they were still in the barren land. His nephew looked at him with sorrow. "I don't have the power to create a false future, Solas. These are your visions. You are the one taking my powers in you now. I am a ghost of the past telling you this. A vision lapsed from one time onto another. That is my curse, the knowledge you seek."

Solas gasped. The air was too thick here to breath. It wasn't Elvhenan. It wasn't true.

"Open your eyes, Solas." He felt Dirthamen's hand on his. "Listen to your beloved."

Solas snapped back to the present. The sounds of battle now echoed behind him.

"Master!" a woman shouted.

An arrow was cut down before it could hit Solas.

Solas turned his head. The images were overwhelming. The sounds echoed from the past to the future, blending together in a blur of noise. The images were the same. He couldn't make sense of it all.

A familiar figure blurred through time through the chaos. His vision swam and he forced himself to focus. It was Nimwen!

"Dirthamen!" A blur of black shot towards Solas. "Release him, Wolf!"

Solas lifted his free hand and shot a wave of magic at the raven.

"You're killing him!" Nimwen shrieked. "Stop it, Solas! Stop it, please! He's your son!"

The moment, he heard the words his fingers slipped from Dirthamen's forehead. Images, sounds, an overwhelming amount of sensations crashed down upon Solas. He screamed. Pain echoed through time as he struck the ground. His nails dug into his head, hands over his ears in an attempt to block the sound.

It was of no use.

The images slowed.

Solas found himself standing in a familiar part of the crossroads. It wasn't overgrown like the last time he had been here. Mythal, an elvhen once more, stood near to the eluvian.

A soft sound of heavy breathing filled the air.

Mythal turned from the eluvian and moved down the steps. Solas followed her path and his eyes widened. Dirthamen leaned against one of the trees. No longer was he dressed in the tattered robes with short hair. He wore finery. The purple robes hugged a healthy frame. His long, black hair draped around him almost falling to the ground.

Solas moved towards the pair, curious to what was happening.

"Dirthamen?" Mythal's voice was soft as she touched Dirthamen's face. "What happened?" She lifted his chin. "Is that-?"

Solas took a shocked step back, his eyes wide as he stared at the cracking blood coating Dirthamen's face. It couldn't be. It was the vallaslin of Falon'Din.

"What happened?" Mythal repeated, her voice stern.

"Mother, I need the truth. Who was he? The man you went to that night. Who is my father?! Why am not Falon'Din's full brother? His twin. Why did you never tell us?!"

"Dirthamen, listen to me."

Dirthamen's eyes glazed. He shook his head and backed away from Mythal staring at her as tears slid down his face. "He doesn't know," he whispered.

"Dirthamen, calm down. You're not thinking." Mythal reached for her son.

Dirthamen's eyes glazed again, More pain spread across his face. His eyes cleared as if he were being drawn back to the present. "Elgar'nan suspected I wasn't his," he whispered.

"Never." Mythal wrapped her hand around his. "Dirthamen, he never knew. Neither of them knew. I was upset that night. Elgar'nan was enraged I was expecting a child. I sought comfort with my closest friend. It was a mistake."

Solas stepped back in the same moment Dirthamen did. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Your closest…" Dirthamen whispered. "You slept with his brother! With the wolf."

"It was a mistake. They can never know." Mythal seemed to almost be pleading with Dirthamen now.

Solas felt horror wrapping around him. This was-It couldn't be the truth.

"What if I had been born with pale eyes? Anything of Uncle's that Elgar'nan didn't share?" Dirthamen demanded. His eyes glazed again before he was snapped back. He started backing away from Mythal again, horror and pain on his face now. "You're no mother," he whispered.

"Dirthamen." She reached for him again. "I was young. I didn't know what to do."

"Tell the truth," Dirthamen told her. "No matter how hard it was. You could have told all four of us the truth."

"It would have destroyed them." Mythal touched his arm. "Your blood father can never know he has a child. Elgar'nan can never know I betrayed him back then, because I couldn't take his rage. It was a mistake."

No! Solas squeezed his eyes shut. No, more! Horror rang in his ears and filled every fiber of his body. He feared to open his eyes, feared more of these visions.

Then, he opened his eyes and found himself kneeling on the ground within the crossroads once more. The sounds of battle had died away. He couldn't hear the echo of it. He looked down from the ceiling and his gaze locked on Dirthamen. He felt the horror ring through him again. It wasn't…

Dirthamen looked up. Blood trickled from his mouth, his eyes half closed. The moment their eyes locked, Solas felt his heart stop with numb horror.

Every action, every crime, every elvhen enslaved, all of it. All this time Solas had compared Dirthamen to his father. But his father wasn't Elgar'nan. Solas felt sick as he stared into Dirthamen's eyes. He saw himself reflected there. Saw the acts committed by Dirthamen in that reflection. It was Solas's fault, not Elgar'nan's.

Dirthamen closed his eyes. Tears slid down his face as pain spread across his features. "Ir abelas, Solas." Then, Dirthamen was gone. A pool of blood remained where Dirthamen had been.

Solas turned, his eyes still wide. A trail of blood led towards the eluvian.

The room spun around Solas. Solas fell forward. His necklace slid from his neck and clattered into Dirthamen's blood. He remained there, on his hands and knees, staring unseeing at the blood. What had he done?

* ~ x ~ *

In a blink of the eye it was over. Nimwen watched as Solas's hands slid from his ears, his shoulders slumped. He and Mahvir were looking at one another. Solas seemed numb with shock, frozen there, staring at his son.

Mahvir's face twisted into one of pain. Tears slid from his eyes. "Ir abelas, Solas," the words echoed through a room, now stopped in stunned silence. Then, Mahvir was gone. Blood fell in a line heading for the eluvian,

Solas turned, his eyes wide before he looked back at the pool of blood before him. Solas's hands fell to the ground as his wolf jaw fell from around his neck. It clattered into the pool of blood.

"Solas!" Nimwen ran to him, her heart thundering in her chest. She knelt beside him. Hesitantly, she put her hands on his shoulders. "Solas?"

Solas didn't move at first. Then looked towards Nimwen, horror seemed to be frozen on his face and he turned his gaze back to the ground as if he hadn't seen her at all.

"Vhenan." Nimwen struggled to sound calm, but she could feel herself on the verge of tears. "Vhenan, ir isala ne dirth ma."

"I-" he whispered. "Ir abelas, ma vhenan." He closed his eyes. "I will face whatever judgement the Divine and Inquisition see fit." He sounded broken. His long fingers touched the fallen wolf jaw, but he made no move to pick it up.

"Venavis." The dam was breaking, her calm facade was cracking. "Don't you dare put this all on me." Her hands, flesh and metal, tightened their grip on his shoulder. "Was this worth it, Solas? Was any of this worth it? Tell me!" she demanded. "You almost killed your son, my son, for what? For a world that's been gone for eons? Was it worth it, Solas?" Her face felt wet, and she was trembling.

Solas flinched. He didn't try to speak, just stared at the necklace.

"Talk to me!" she sobbed. "I can't stand the silence, the secrecy, not anymore. If you ever loved me than fucking say something!" She smacked his chest and dissolved into weeping. She cared not how she must have looked, how weak the Inquisitor had become. She just didn't care anymore.

"It was the only world I knew," he spoke at last, voice soft, that of a stunned man. "The world I had destroyed. I thought I was doing the right thing." His voice broke off. A note of horror seemed to trimble in the words, his eyes wider, still locked on the blood. "Ir abelas. Can you ever forgive me, vhenan?" His shoulders shook in her hold.

She looked up and saw through her blurred vision at the remorse and sorrow in his eyes. "Ma lath." She gently cupped his face in her hands. "No matter what comes, you will forever hold a place in my heart. Ne tel'din'an u. Not while I am here."

He closed his eyes, tears fell down his face. Solas reached up to her and drew her into an embrace. "Ma serannas, ma vhenan." His lips touched hers.

She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him as close to her as possible.

"All right, I think I am leaving." The sound of Atisha walking towards the eluvian followed. "Vir!" she snapped.

Vir jumped. "Y-yeah?"

"Stop with those tears, we have a mission to complete!"

"Right!" Vir raced after her. "Where did Fear and Deceit go?"

"They followed Master. We're unlikely to find any of them easily. Not if you keep turning back to watch the wolf and his mate." Whack - the sound of wood hitting flesh followed.

"Ouch!" Vir yelped.

"I… think I'll follow them," said an awkward Melda.

"Solas," Nimwen ignored the underlings. "What happened to Mahvir, where did he go?"

"I," - he hesitated and looked at the blood trail - "don't know," he confessed.

"We need to find him," Nimwen said adamantly.

Solas picked up the wolf jaw from the blood. He nodded and stood, holding out his hand to Nimwen.

She slipped her silverite hand into his.

Solas helped her to her feet. "Dagna's work?" he asked, eying her new hand. Then, he frowned. "No not just Dagna there are Fade enchantments within," he muttered.

"A collaboration between her and Mahvir," Nimwen explained.

He nodded, expression unreadable. "Let's go."

Ne tel'din'an u.- you will not die alone.

Vhenan, ir isala ne dirth ma - I need you to talk to me