Chapter 2: A Mother's Patience
The night for the three was long. Cullen found himself falling asleep on the Pilgrim's Path, succumbing to his exhaustion. No one wanted to disturb him. Leliana was back down at the Chantry along with Cassandra. Unlike the Commander, they were trying all they could to help the young elven man to push through his odd magic sickness. Adan, the alchemist of Haven, was scrambling to keep him alive. Every time the Breach pulsated and grew, so did his mark. He had already taken care of the other prisoner but her situation was easy. Cuts were easily healed by elfroot salves though Adan saw that her head was a piece of work.
"How is he?" Cassandra asked. Adan gruffly snorted.
"There is nothing else I can do Seeker. You're calling for a miracle if you want this boy to survive. What's plaguing him is not a regular disease or something I can put salve on and call it a day! The mark on his hand is growing bigger and causing him extreme pain. If you haven't noticed, I am no mage!" Adan said bluntly.
"There must be something we can do! He is the only survivor of the Conclave and I will not allow him to die. He has to answer our questions." Cassandra said desperately. Leliana came down and whispered something to Cassandra. "Do you recognize him?"
"No, only that he said that he has come to help." Leliana said.
From all this disturbance, Elera's eyes fluttered open. Her head was killing her and she ached all over. Then Elera remembered what happened last night and got up quickly yet slightly regretted it as the world span slightly. She was lying on a cot inside a dungeon, the only light coming from the torches on the walls. In the middle of the dungeon lied Nellas with a human over him. Nellas screamed as another pulse shook his body.
"Leave him alone!" She shouted, Adan nearly tumbled from being startled. Elera planted her face in between the bars as one of her arms reached to Nellas. "Don't touch him! You will not harm him for as long as I draw breath!"
"Will you be quiet! Does it look like I'm trying to kill him? I've been trying to save him all night long! So who gave you the right to shout at me like that? I don't need a second opinion from someone who is not a healer." Adan gruffly shouted back. Elera didn't trust this man but from the water, cloth, and various potion bottles it's not hard to believe that he was a healer of some sort. "And before you go ahead making my own headache worse, you can at least say thank you for bandaging you up and making sure that you didn't die of blood loss." Adan scoffed.
Elera noticed that her body was bandaged and the smell of elfroot hung around them. Elera gripped the bars of her cell. She hated being indebted but if this man saved her then she really did an injustice yelling at him like that. She saw how he patted down Nellas' forehead with water as the only sounds were coming from her son's mumbles. All she wanted to do was hug him close to her and sing him lullabies. She was sure that wasn't going to cure him but maybe that will shake away some of his night terrors.
It was a cruel thing for a mother to see her son wasting away in front of her.
"Thank you for doing this and for…trying to heal my son." Elera apologized with a scowl.
"Thank me once I can actually to do something." Adan sighed, rubbing his face and running his fingers through his beard. A door opens and Elera hears the clinking of armor. She saw the dark-haired woman from last night followed by an elven man and the red headed woman behind him. The elven man caught her eye and, for some odd reason, Elera seemed to feel like she has seen him before.
"That is the one with the mark. You will be monitored for as long as you observe it." Cassandra took out her sword and lightly rested it on the ground.
"Well I guess since you're here, I will be tending to our soldiers at the camp." Leliana said, going up the stairs again.
"Wait, what are you doing to him?" Elera asked as the elven man dropped down to look at the mark on her son's hand.
"That is none of your concern. You will be sentenced as soon as this catastrophe passes." Cassandra didn't even glance in Elera's direction.
"The Beyond take you!" Elera shouted and the elven man gave her a sidelong glance. "That is my son that you have in your clutches! I swear if you hurt him, I will bring my judgement upon your head!"
"And how do I know that you are telling the truth? Perhaps you merely want to kill this young man and sever our connection to what happened at the Conclave." Cassandra huffed.
"How. Dare. You! I wouldn't harm a beautiful hair on his head!" Elera shouted. Cassandra almost wanted to chuckle for the beautiful comment. "I carried that child for 10 months, I gave him life! I called him Nellas, a giver of joy because that is all he has given me!" Her voice broke as she fought the tears in her eyes. Elera had a soft spot for her son even after all this time. "He is my baby and I can't even touch him in these bars!"
Nellas screamed again as the mark pulsated. Elera gasped as she felt a tear drop down her cheek. The elven man seemed to do something to the mark and controlled the pulse. Nellas whimpered and calmed down. Elera's reasoning seemed to fly out of the window. She backed off to the end of the wall, ran, and slammed against the bars.
"Stop!" Cassandra shouted, grabbing her sword.
"He needs me! I'm so close!" Elera rammed the door again.
"You are going to dislocate your shoulder and open your wounds!" Adan chastised.
"I don't care! I thought I lost him at the Conclave and, by the Gods, a miracle was granted and he came back! I am not losing him again! He needs me to be there! Why can't you see that he's still a boy and he's frightened!?" Elera rammed one more time before her head started to spin again. Even though she wanted to empty her stomach contents, she wanted to be there for her son. Her face was in between the bars as she reached out for her son again.
"Mana." The elven man said and Elera stared at him. It was as if he placed a spell over her, the rage she felt was gone as soon as she heard the comforting Elvhen dialect. He looked at her and Elera seemed to sense the wisdom inside him. "Hamin, ar halani. Mala da'len na'eth."
'Stop. Relax, I am helping. Your little one will be safe.' Elera translated in her head. The elven man smiled and nodded.
"What is your name?" Elera asked, her eyes trained on the elven man's blue eyes.
"Solas, and yours?" He asked. She looked to Cassandra with distrust but looked at him again and felt herself relaxing.
"Elera Mahariel and that is my son, Nellas." Elera responded and Solas smiled.
"Dreams and hope often go hand in hand." Solas nodded, watching the mark. Elera felt her ears get hot as he found the translations in their names.
"You do have a job apostate. Do I need to remind you?" Cassandra held up her sword as a threat. Elera glared at her.
"It is respectful to give others your name once they have introduced themselves." Solas said. Cassandra looked at Elera before scoffing.
"I am Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast. Now, it would be best if you calm yourself before you kill yourself in your cell." Cassandra side glanced at Elera.
"As long as I know my son isn't going to die, I will wait here." Elera sat down, concentrated at how Solas looked at the mark on her son's hand. Tension was palpable in the air. Elera constantly looked over at Cassandra. She must have been one of the leaders of the village. She remembered Cullen and wondered if this one will listen to her as well. Not likely considering how she acted toward her when Elera tried to convince her Nellas was her son but she had a choice her and one that allowed her out of her cell. "How are your soldiers doing near the Breach?" Elera asked.
"Why do you wish to know?" Cassandra wondered.
"They were fighting tooth and nail with the demons, protecting those that were here in the village. I must commend you humans for your tenacity." Elera mentioned.
"Are you going to babble about strategy or is this going anywhere?" Cassandra wondered.
"I will fight for your army so long as I can get out of this cell and you give me back my armor and weapons. I am a very skilled warrior and you will also get the help you need to push back the demons." Elera offered. "Anything. Better than being locked in a cage."
"How will I know you will not flee?" Cassandra glared.
"You have my son's life in your hands. I am not leaving, I swear on his life." Elera sat down and bowed. "Please, I am not doing anything productive in a cell."
"Either way, your head is not on right. You're still a little woozy on your feet right?" Adan said. Elera bit her lip. "Most likely you got your head rattled from that bash to the head. You won't be able to fight for another day maybe even more. If that's the case, then you're useless anyway."
"You…are a competent healer." She glared. "Fine, I will wait in the cage until I am healed." Elera pouted and sat on her cot. Adan got up and grabbed two small vials.
"Here, the viscous one is salve to slather on your head. The clear one is for you to drink. That will get you on your feet quicker. Also the name is Adan so don't go calling me human or that weird word for human." Adan handed it to her and Elera nodded. She drank the potion first and then unwrapped the bandages from her skull. She massaged the salve into her wound before winding the bandages around her head again.
She watched as Solas tending to her son's hand as Nellas descended into mumbling. Cassandra stood over both of them, sword in her hand. Although she looked relaxed, Elera noticed that she could jump in and kill Solas in an instant if she wanted to. This one was an experienced soldier just like that Cullen man from last night. Elera sighed and laid back on the cot. She realized that she couldn't do anything in her position. Elera traveled alone for half of her life and a head injury was debilitating at best and instant death at worst. She had to allow herself to rest. Elera closed her eyes and tried to drown out the mumbles of her son.
-.
Elera woke up and was disoriented on what time it was. She looked over and Adan was mixing things near the fire while Solas sighed, holding Nellas' hand. Cassandra wasn't there anymore. Instead, the beardless dwarf from yesterday was there. Elera got up and saw his hands deftly grab onto his crossbow and point at her.
"Don't do that. She's just a person at the wrong place at the wrong time." Adan mentioned. He got a bucket and brought it over to her cell. He put it just outside and put a towel near it. "Not much else I could have gotten you. It was warm but it since cooled off while you were sleeping."
"Thank you." She nodded before taking her bandages off. She noticed that she only had small marks where the cuts were. Elera smiled before taking the towel and making it wet to clean herself from the elfroot smell.
"Wait a minute, I know you! You were that crazy elf running around in Haven." The dwarf said, putting down his crossbow.
"Yes. I'm sorry if I frightened you." Elera said, wiping off as best as she could.
"You think you scared me? Please, I've seen way too much for anything to scare me but this Breach? Whole 'nother level. What's your name Mama Wolf? Or would you mind just Wolf?" The dwarf asked.
"Excuse me?" She wondered.
"Oh sorry, introductions are needed. My name is Varric Tethras, head of the Tethras merchants up in the Free Marches, mostly centered in Kirkwall." Varric nodded politely.
"My name is Elera not Wolf." Elera chuckled.
"You looked fierce yesterday and these find gentlemen finally relayed the story to me. This kid is yours?" Varric asked.
"He is. He's the one that I was looking for." Elera's face softened. Varric smiled at that. As much as the Seeker was swearing up and down that this woman was lying, he knew unconditional love.
"I'm glad you found him just try not to bring down the dungeon will you? Bianca and I wouldn't like that." Varric patted his crossbow.
"Bianca." She deadpanned.
"Yep. We've been through a lot." Varric chuckled. Elera shook her head before the walls shone green as Nellas groaned with his mark causing him discomfort. Solas grunted in frustration before getting the mark controlled again.
"How is he?" Elera asked.
"Getting better. My potions are finally getting through and, whatever that apostate is doing, it's doing wonders on the kid's health." Adan described.
"Please call him Solas. It's not respectable calling him an apostate." Elera mentioned.
"It is fine and he's not wrong either." Solas sighed.
"Ever since the mages rebelled, all of them are now apostates besides the ones that have secluded themselves in the Circle of Montsimmard." Varric mentioned.
"Does that make my son an apostate as well?" Elera wondered and Adan stared with wide eyes.
"He's a mage?" Adan wondered and Solas gave her a curious glance.
"Not a good one. My friend and my deceased clan leader taught him to control his dreams so he won't get easily possessed but he has trouble using it in combat. I never gave him up and instead taught him the fundamentals that Merrill told me to." Elera took off the bandages from her legs and started to wash from there.
"Wait, Merrill? Was your clan the one that were at Mount Sundermount?" Varric asked. She saw the slight horrified look on his face.
"So you know of the Champion that massacred my family." Elera glared. Varric shuffled awkwardly, rubbing his neck.
"Daisy is a good friend of mine. Small world if you knew her too." Varric mumbled.
"We were raised together. I never fit in with my Clan. She, my brother, Tamlen, and I were very close. It's because of her studies of our history that led me to search for ancient ruins. I gather all the writings I can and if there's something I don't understand, I take them to a Clan Leader." Elera described. "Merrill helped me nurture Nellas' gift…and then…" Elera's face fell.
"I wasn't there when Daisy lost her family but I'm sorry all the same." Varric said.
"What's even worse was that she was in love with the shem that killed our family." Elera hissed out, her hands tightening into fists. Varric coughed and shifted uncomfortably.
"Yeah that must have been an awkward conversation between both of them. For what it's worth, I'm sorry." Varric said.
"Thank you." She nodded and watched them at work in silence. Varric was very careful concerning Solas. Whenever Solas got up and started talking, Elera noticed his watchful stare. If Solas reacted to something quickly, Varric automatically had Bianca in his sights. Adan was simply ignoring everything and was busy still working on potions. Elera was sure that working in the dungeon away from his instruments was annoying.
She couldn't get back to sleep after talking to the beardless dwarf, Varric. He had dug up past memories that she would rather keep hidden. Elera remembered all too well when she stumbled upon her clan…
Elera walked along the Wounded Coast along with her son Nellas who still had a baby face at 13. He was skipping in the sand, enjoying his moment on the beach. Nellas was used to ruins, forests, lakes, and the occasional small village but the ocean? The ocean was a nice treat that his mother allowed him when visiting their clan. It was the thing that he liked about the Free Marches.
"Nellas, stay close. This coast isn't the safest." Elera warned.
"Yes mamae." Nellas rolled his eyes, going down to pick up a pretty shell. Eventually the coast ended and they walked along the trail to Sundermount. Nellas was looking forward to his next magical lesson with his Grand Mamae. The closer they walked to where the clan was, however, the tenser the situation got. Elera stopped, looking at a few hilltops that were supposed to have sentries but she hasn't seen anyone. This raised alarm bells in her head.
"Nellas, grab your bow. Something isn't right here." Elera said, taking her daggers in her hand. Nellas immediately grabbed his weapons. He was a good shot but knew that he couldn't be like his mother who was in the dead of battle. Nellas walked up the hills, keeping an eye on his mother, and making sure he has the high ground.
Eventually they find the boundary that signaled the beginning of the Clan. Vultures and crows circled up ahead and Elera rushed forward. Nellas had a hard time following her until he saw her stop. Nellas gasped and took a step back. Elera's hands weakened and her daggers fell to the ground. Her people, her family, her clan was dead. Bodies were everywhere, their tents torn down, their aravels completely destroyed.
Elera sucked in a breath as the vultures came down and started to eat her family. She screamed as she grabbed a post that was lying on the ground and ran toward the animals. She swung and roared at them. The vultures screeched back but Elera couldn't see what little was left to be eaten away by scavengers. The birds got the idea and flew off. Elera wailed as she saw the remnants of the bodies surrounding her. The smell came into her nostrils and she couldn't hold in the lunch she had.
Elera threw up on the grass, tears gushing from her eyes, and a painful part of her heart cleanly ripped out. She retched nothing after her stomach was empty. Elera turned back and saw Nellas' pale face. His face completely blank. She was so lost in her grief that she didn't even realize how he must be feeling. She wiped the spittle from her mouth and walked toward him.
"Mamae? What happened?" He looked at her with sad green eyes. Elera bit her lip so hard she drew blood before throwing her arms around Nellas.
"I don't know. I don't know." She whispered. They both fell on their knees and soon the enormity of the situation crashed on him. Nellas' tears slipped out one by one before he started to wail. Soon his mother followed him.
After a couple of hours of crying their hearts out, they both set out to bury all they can find. Nellas used the little magic that he knew to help dig burial grounds. Elera prayed for all the bodies and carefully placed each body in their designated spot. After doing this to all the ones she found, she also made smaller pits for those that had their bodies taken apart by scavengers. Elera and Nellas' faces filled with tears every once in a while, remembering those that passed.
Elera and Nellas grabbed nearby stones and messily carved the names of those that were recognizable. Then they did a large one for those that didn't have all their body parts. It was late at night when they were finished. Elera had found a small river and they washed themselves from all the grime of the day. They were both sitting in front of the fire, the shadows dancing on the tombstones of their fallen family. They grieved the day away and were left with the uncomfortable hole in their hearts.
"…Mamae, I don't understand. Our clan was full of seasoned warriors." Nellas mumbled. Elera nodded.
"I know. I was thinking about that all day. They weren't perfect but…they didn't deserve this at all. For now, it's best we get some rest. Tomorrow we go into the city." Elera's eyes turned from haunted to determined.
"The city? But why?" Nellas wondered as his mother got up from her spot and started on their tent for the night.
"There is only one person who would know what happened here and would offer us answers to our questions: Merrill."
Elera was broken out of her reverie when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Cassandra peeked and Varric gave her a terse nod. She had a full pack in her hand and Cassandra walked up to Elera's cell. Elera looked up with curiosity before Cassandra dropped the pack. Elera's eyes widened as she recognized her armor and weapons.
"You are well enough to fight?" Cassandra asked.
"Yes." Elera nodded.
"You are right. We are losing able hands every day and the impossibility of closing the rifts makes things harder. For now, you will fight for as long as you can." Cassandra opened the cell and gave Elera the pack. Elera gave a sigh as she ran her hands through her armor and daggers. "Just so you know, if there is any doubt in my mind that you will betray us, I will not hesitate in ending your life."
"You don't need to worry about that. So long as you heal my son, my daggers will fall any enemy that comes across you." Elera bowed and started to take off the prison clothing to put on her own clothing and armor.
"Maker, will you give us a warning next time?" Adan groaned, turning away. Solas gave an odd chuckle and snorting sound while Varric shook his head but made sure not to look over to Elera's cell. Elera wrapped her scarf around her and checked her daggers. They didn't look damaged at all and Elera nodded. Cassandra unlocked the cell and opened it. Elera stepped out of the cell and Cassandra stood by the steps waiting for her. Elera knelt down to where her son was. Nellas stopped tossing and turning but his painful groans would often fill the silence of the dungeons. She gave him a sad look before running her hands through his golden hair.
"Solas, please take care of my son. I put him in both of your hands." Elera nodded to both him and Adan. Adan scratched his beard awkwardly while Solas gave her a confident nod. Elera sighed while getting up and following Cassandra up the steps. Varric let out a long sigh and let Bianca rest.
"Now that's what I call Mama Wolf." Varric chuckled. Solas chuckled to that. "Well it looks like you're no longer stone faced, Chuckles."
"Chuckles?" Solas wondered out loud but Varric ignored that.
"So now that Mama Wolf is out of earshot, how's the kid?" Varric asked seriously. Solas noticed his demeanor change but realized he really was worried about Nellas. Solas softly sighed as he left Nellas' hand alone.
"He is fairing much better but every pulse from the Breach only furthers the mark on his hand. I have a theory that the same magic to create the Breach, created his mark as well." Solas said. He wasn't telling a lie of course but he was omitting the main fact that this was his fault.
"So does that mean he caused it?" Adan asked.
"I am not sure but they are tied." Solas nodded.
"Shit. Well we won't know for sure until the kid wakes up and who knows how long that is going to be." Varric rubbed his eyes.
"Why not take a rest child of the stone?" Solas offered.
"If the Seeker caught me sleeping on my feet, I'd be meeting my Ancestors and get a tongue wagging from them so no." Varric chuckled. In the end, all three men settled in a tense silence. It wasn't uncomfortable but all three couldn't wait until Nellas awoke. Adan, to return to his cabin and his supplies, away from people that only took away the time that could be used to help the soldiers. Varric so his curiosity can be satiated and also at least take a rest from standing watch. Solas wanted to see if what he created can be closed by the mark. He won't know until he sees it with his own eyes. Doubt crept slowly into his mind and Solas can almost feel the cold steel on his neck. Cassandra made her point clear: Find out what is happening or he will die.
It wasn't the best of deals but Solas had no other choice. This had to work. He was betting his life after all and Solas doesn't make bets that don't work out in his favor.
-.
Elera got shaken awake and she was grabbing at her daggers before realizing it was Cullen. Elera groaned as she realized she fell asleep at one of the cabins in Haven, on the floor. Her stomach grumbled with a shot of pain and Elera wondered when was the last time she ate. She sucked in a breath and yawned.
"How long was I asleep?" Elera rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and got up.
"A few hours. I made sure to give this cabin a wide berth. You did well yesterday with the troops and I knew you needed rest." Cullen explained.
"The bags under your eyes seem to tell me you need rest as well." Elera deadpanned.
"Not now, not until we close that Breach." Cullen rubbed his eyes. Elera nodded. She didn't mean to fall asleep but she was just so tired from fighting the past two days. Demons after demons spewed from the open rifts and more kept on opening. If nothing could be done, the whole world was going to be drowning in demons. She really doesn't want that happening. To think she was only worried about the human circles coming back. Now, looking at the sky, Elera even wonders if there's a world that she can leave Nellas.
"Have you received word on how my son doing?" Elera asked as she follow Cullen through Haven.
"Not yet but his condition is steadily improving." Cullen explained before being stopped by Cassandra who was waiting for them at the gates leading out of Haven. Behind her was Varric and Solas with determined faces.
"Elera, you are to accompany Solas and Varric to the nearest rift. Solas," Cassandra gave him that persecuting stare, "Would like to examine the Breach's effect on them as well as attempting to close the rift. If he fails, you are to report to me." Solas shuffled on his feet uncomfortably and Elera didn't feel right shoving him underneath the aravel for her either. Elera nodded hesitantly but in her honest opinion, she would let Solas go rather than let Cassandra take him.
"Fine." Elera said.
"Good. I will be keeping watch on Nellas. He shows signs of awakening." Cassandra walked past Elera and she turned swiftly to Cassandra.
"If he's about to wake then I-" Elera stepped forward and Cassandra had taken out her sword near Elera's throat.
"Just because you have helped our soldiers does not mean I believe your story that, that man is your son. He is our prisoner and could be the one responsible for all of this!" Cassandra shouted. Elera glared at her and felt that natural hatred of humans seeping in. Cullen stepped in between and lowered Cassandra's blade.
"Look, we have kept him safe and no one will kill him as long as he's under our supervision. Cassandra has a right to be suspicious, please understand." Cullen negotiated. Elera didn't want to go through this but she had to swallow her pride. Elera nodded and glared at Cassandra one more time for good measure.
"Let's leave!" She yelled as she kicked open the gate of Haven toward the Pilgrim's Path.
"Chuckles, remind me not to get on her bad side." Varric mumbled. Solas nodded in agreement.
Beta'd by FearaNightmare and Syutaku!
Not a bad start if I do say so myself. It's refreshing to write in third perspective and I really like Elera, did you notice? xD
Thank you HellaRose (Hi! nice to see you again! :D), crawler123, bleachlover202, Grin like the Chesire Cat (Hi again!), dougcupcape, and SoAverage for following/favoriting my story!
Chimera Spyke: Lol I don't think I've ever mentioned them in my Days story but they might be name dropped later on. The mother and son from later in Past aren't these guys unfortunately. Yes I know it's not the Inquisition story to my own SI story but I hope to get there soon!
Please Review!