He likes my ears.

The thought wouldn't stop bothering Velanna and her eyes bored into Nathaniel's back as the group slowly made their way down the narrow path leading to the bottom of the canyon. If he noticed her stare he didn't show it, his bow in his hands as he silently lead the way, head slowly moving from left to right, searching the surroundings for any potential ambushes.

To her left Lynn marched on silently while Anders to her right snickered at some inane thing or the like, but Velanna ignored him as she ran a hand up the side of her face, fingertips brushing against the edge of the ears she usually hated.

Back with her clan she had always been teased when she had been younger by the other girls. Perhaps due to her magical talents, perhaps due to her inability to play well with others...or perhaps simply because she was such an obvious target. With her being so tall for a girl, even elves in general, and with her growing bosom it had been easy to tease her about having 'shem-blood' in her, of being a shem in disguise...

Of course she had easily brushed such teasing aside, it was obvious the other girls were envious of the stares she in her teens had received from the boys in the clan. She hadn't particularly cared for such stares after a while though, they had grown tiresome...and insulting, she was more then a pair of legs and a human-sized bust dammit!

The boys had never cared much for her face though, never...there was nothing in it they liked, or perhaps it was just overshadowed by the rest of her. That in itself was insulting, but the girls had noticed it...and pushed on that...and while Velanna wore the face of her mother with pride...the freakish growth of her ears had been a weak point of hers.

They had made her cry...even when she had gotten tougher, harder...any comment on her ears had managed to make her shake whenever she was alone.

And he likes them.

Velanna shook her head, surprised by the warmth suddenly within her chest. Haven't felt that since hunter Fayfan brought me that... She blinked. Oh no...nonononononono...

She swallowed and eyed Nathaniel again, this time with trepidation. I can't...he's a...but...I'm not a foolish teenager anymore!

Then Anders opened his mouth, and for once Velanna was eager to listen. Anything but to think about that stupid, foolish, sudden cru- No, don't think about it. She found herself glaring at the mage, who only arched an amused eyebrow as he spoke: "I can't help but notice you're still in that robe of yours..."

"And I can't help but notice that Mhairi would not appreciate you noticing such a thing." Velanna bit back acidly, the memories of teenage boys' stares all too fresh in her memories.

To both her irritation and amusement ahead of them Nathaniel chuckled even as Anders cocked his head to the side, a distant smile on his lips. "I suppose not...but I like to annoy her, it makes her all huffy and rose-cheeked...it's adorable." Velanna smirked at the mage. Huh, suddenly he became more bearable... Then the man shook his head and focused back on her. "Anyway, that's not the point, I was just wondering considering our earlier conversation I would have assumed you'd...change."

Velanna had actually considered that...for a few seconds. She snorted. "Yes, because I will change how I dress based on what some fool sheep living in their own filth thinks?" Her words elicited another small chuckle out of Nathaniel, robbing the heat out of her words as she continued: "I am so weak-willed that I will change out of what I'm comfortable with due to the opinions of others? Let them stare, they only disgrace themselves."

"If you say so..." Anders muttered, regarding her somewhat guardedly.

"I'm not some pretty airhead trying to fit in with the crowd." Velanna pushed a finger into Anders shoulder, scowling at him. "Remember that."

To her surprise Nathaniel was the one speaking up, his voice a low mutter, barely audible if one hadn't paid attention. "Definitively not an airhead..." Velanna bit her lower lip, painfully aware that the man didn't deny the 'pretty' part... Then the hunter raised his voice: "Darkspawn movement ahead."

Did he mean that I am pretty...or just that he doesn't think of me like that? Velanna shook her head at the infuriating thought and freed her staff. Dammit, the shem is of no interest to me and if he thinks otherwise then too bad! Ignoring the surprised look of Anders' Velanna growled, trying to focus...and failing as she watched the hunter move up ahead, notching an arrow as he and Lynn took the lead. I must have fallen ill...

The bottom of the canyon was small, leaving only one path, forward, towards a massive gap in the dark cliff side. The great hole opened into some strange chamber of smudged grey rock that once might had been lustrous and covered in decorations, but now was covered in filth and giving a strong impression of decay. We're going in there? She glanced up, at the thick stone roof above, at the large amount of rocks atop that, just wishing to crush- Gods...

There was no time to think of the horrible weight that they were supposed to walk beneath though, for suddenly an arrow whistled past them as they came closer, Velanna finally spotting the foes Nathaniel had seen.

The darkspawn were a solid mass ahead, covering the entrance with their numbers, crude shields raised at the front as the ones in the back readied crude bows to loose their foul arrows upon the four approaching wardens.

Foul filth. Velanna snarled at them, her staff raised as a stream of amber fire poured from the fingertips of her left hand to mass above the tip of her staff.

Give me back my sister! A second later she lunged with her staff, sending the orb of glowing power forth, hurling it into the solid line of hurlocks and genlocks.

Like leaves in autumn the darkspawn were blown away, many nothing more then burning pieces of torn flesh.

Striding forward she ignored an arrow whistling past her as a genlock she had missed tried to fell her, instead she sent a second fireball forth, engulfing a group of darkspawn that were still trying to get up from the first attack. Burn! Die! She grinned, watching the darkspawn fall apart, their charred flesh dropping off them in great lumps. I wanted this for so lo-

Thud.

Velanna blinked, suddenly feeling light-headed. Then she begun to list, despite her efforts to continue her steady advance, tired eyes looking down at the arrow stuck in her right shoulder with mild surprise. I don't remember that being there...

Then she was bowled over, a heavy weight slamming into her back even as it rolled her onto her back. On her back Velanna found Lynn crouching over her, the elf glaring down at her, sending a spike of fear through Velanna's mind and momentarily pulling her out of the sudden drowsiness assaulting her senses.

She could only watch as the Commander reached out at the arrow, gripping it... Won't that- ...and ripping it out.

Pain!

Velanna arched her back, the sudden burning sensation centred around her wound rushing through her, making her see white for a moment.

But only for a moment, then she saw Lynn still crouching over her, glaring at her even as the soothing sting of healing magic ran through her, no doubt cast by an Anders barely able to wait to hold the rescue over Velanna's head. At the moment though all Velanna could see were the dead eyes glaring down at her, as if she was nothing like a bug. "Don't be rash, think."

Velanna swallowed and managed a mute nod, her body still feeling drained, not from blood-lust, but for too quick casting of the same powerful spell. She swallowed again before managing to croak: "Y-yes Commander..."

Then the elf was gone, a mere golden blur hurtling past Velanna and into the darkspawn ahead.

Grunting Velanna used her staff as support to laboriously get to her feet, her gaze darting over to Nathaniel. The man shot her a worried glance as he felt her eyes upon him, taking in her healed injury and shaking stance, then quickly returned to loosening more arrows upon the creatures, doubtlessly the right call. Did it have to be such an easy one for him though? Grumbling, and not sure why, Velanna turned towards the battle.

Ahead and to the left half a dozen darkspawn were stumbling around, rubbing their eyes as grey dust of steel settled around them, no doubt Nathaniel's doing. One after one they were felled by the man's constant barrage of arrows. Further to the right half a dozen of hurlocks stood frozen mid-step by what had to be the advancing Anders' spell, the smirking mage raising his staff, a residue of a crushing spell fading away from one of the frozen creatures as it loudly shattered into bloody chunks.

Then Lynn was there, the elf darting between frozen darkspawn, swinging axe and sword crushing the frozen monsters, sending pieces of ice and flesh flying as arms and heads were cleaved off.

And further ahead...a dwarf! Velanna blinked, her stance rigid as she leaned heavily on her staff, the backlash of her quick spell-casting and the sudden injury making her head swim. Yet she was sure she saw a dwarf ahead, dressed in a pale grey suit of pale armour the dwarf was knocked over. Yet his two axes constantly moved to block the strikes from the three darkspawn towering over him, his body rolling left and right, dodging attacks with a dexterity Velanna didn't think possible of one of the stout people.

But it couldn't last long. The hurlock in the middle was a large and dressed in brass armour, its massive sword again and again cleaving apart the stone tiles the dwarf rolled upon. The ones flanking it bashing after the dwarf with their crude shields along with their curved blades of blackened steel.

I have another spell in me. Velanna grunted as she raised her staff, the elegant piece of wood suddenly heavy in her arms. One more...she shook her head, ignoring the lesson of her teacher as she, still dizzy, drew on her reserves. The darkspawn will not harm anyone anymore...not take any life away, not leave any in ruin...

It rushed up through her chest, teetered...ready to be extinguished...then pushed forth.

Fire, death, a fluttering ball of amber, ready to do her bidding.

The explosion wasn't grand, in fact it nearly didn't happen, the ball of fire almost becoming extinguished mid-flight. But it did strike the nearest hurlock in the chest, burst open, and sent all three assaulting the dwarf onto their back with a small but bright explosion. I...more...

They were getting up, snarling, angry rather then hurt, crude weapons still in their hands, ready to extinguish the life of the dwarf struggling to get to his feet...Velanna blinked as he saw the helmet of the dwarf fall off, broken...her feet.

Sister...

Velanna's right arm fell, dropping her staff as her vision became a blur. Just one more... Her left arm remained raised, trying to conjure a spell, something, anything...but there was nothing but oblivion left to draw on, emptiness, darkness...

She saw Lynn move to charge the three, to save the dwarf whose axes were ready to defend, saw Nathaniel's arrow pluck one of the hurlocks of its feet, knew it was over. Yet...more...just...sister... She pulled, grunting as she tried to grasp at whatever strand of power that might be left in her.

Instead she felt nothing, the emptiness leaving her breathless, done...gone.

"Velanna!" Nathaniel's voice was distant, unimportant. Another mote disappearing as darkness took her.

She fell.

8

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Thanks to Abydos Jackson for her aid.