A/N: I have changed this origin entirely, I feel as if it is better this way as in the game I found this origin to be rather.. boring compared to the others. I also changed Merrill's personality to match her personality in the second game. Hopefully no one will mind.

I looked down upon the bear-like demon me and Tamlen had just slain, whilst placing my bow upon my back. It was a terrible fight, and Tamlen had a few injuries. I, being with a bow and arrow was too far from the demon to be majorly hurt. But I still had a few scrapes.

"Lethallin, come look at this!" Tamlen exclaimed excitedly, standing in front of the eluvian. It was corrupted, I could tell. I had seen others of it's kind but none as... dark as this.

"Da'mi, step away from the eluvian," I warned, slowly backing off. "It's dangerous,"

"Nonsense, this could be full of knowledge. It even has pictures, look!" Tamlen pointed to the eluvian. I saw nothing but darkness.

"Da'mi, I say this for your own safety!" I exclaimed. I did not allow myself to go away any further. I had to look out for Tamlen.

"Well, if you won't do anything.." He looked away from me and straight to the eluvian. He started to move his hand around it. It was already too late...

He spoke nothing to me, until he started getting worried. "Help, it won't let me look away! Lethallin! I can't look away!" He yelled in panic. I could not move, as much as I wanted to.

"Da'mi!" I replied in panic, and suddenly there was an explosion with a bright light. I fell back, and slowly the light turned into darkness...

"Theron, are you okay? Can you hear me?" I sat up, no longer in agony "Oh, thank the Creators..."

I looked to my right and saw Merrill leaning over me, sighing in relief. "Da'assan," I replied "Ma serannas,"

"Oh, it was no trouble," She smiled at me "Anything for you, lethallin. Marethari needed my assistance, too. She could not heal you on her own,"

"Where is Tamlen?" I asked. A look of worry cast upon her face.

"We were hoping you would tell us. What is the last thing you remember?"

I sat there for a minute, thinking. "Tamlen was looking into the eluvian and then there was a bright light.. I think the eluvian was corrupted,"

"An eluvian?" She repeated, her eyes full of joy "Oh, it could be so full of history! We have to go check it out,"

"That's what Tamlen said, and look what happened to him," I replied in a rough tone. She frowned.

"Anyway, The Keeper wanted to see you as soon as you awoke. She also wants to see me. You wait outside the tent, I'll bring her here," She added, coldly. She was obviously upset that I had told her off, but she'll be fine soon enough. We left the tent and I waited as she went off to fetch Keeper Marethari.

I saw Marethari and Merrill approach me not too long afterwards. Marethari was the first to speak "I see you are awake, da'len. It is fortunate Kallian found you when she did.. I know not what dark power held you, but it nearly bled the life from you. It was difficult even for our magic combined to keep you alive," Her tone was grave, and I could tell she had more to speak of.

"The shemlen, Duncan said there could be darkspawn in the ruins. Is there? Darkspawn?" Merrill asked curiously.

"That depends... What do darkspawn look like?" I replied, doing my ever constant pet-peeve of Merrill's by answering a question with yet another question.

"They look like men, but dark and tainted with evil. Perhaps you fought one and it wounded you," Marethari replied. I shook my head. There was a disappointed look upon Merrill's face. She is ever constantly obsessed with history and strange creatures, including darkspawn. One day it will be the end of her.

"The only tainted thing I found in the ruins was the eluvian," I replied in all honesty. There was a worried look on Marethari's face.

"An eluvian, caused all this? It must be truly corrupted... If so, Tamlen is long gone," Marethari looked down in sorrow. I tried my best not to show any upset, despite Tamlen being my lifelong friend.

Merrill knew what I was thinking. "I'm here for you, da'vhenan" She smiled at me. Me, her and Tamlen had been friends for as long as I could remember. It's difficult to think that one of the trio had now gone..

At that moment, a shemlen accompanied by an unknown elvhen joined our conversation.

"Duncan wants me to inform you that there were darkspawn in those ruins," The shemlen directed at Marethari, and suddenly her eyes were on me.

"There were no darkspawn when I explored the ruin," I commented. "Why should we believe you, shemlen?"

"Calm down, da'len," Marethari ordered me "They are Grey Warden recruits, pay your respects. Tamlen must have opened something when he interfered with the eluvian,"

"It is alright," The shemlen replied, and she smiled at me, "I got a lot of comments like that when I went into Kallian's Alienage," she looked at the elvhen at her side. I remember Marethari saying that she saved me.

"So you are my mysterious saviour?" I smiled at her, and she blushed. "I pay my respects," I bowed my head to her. Merrill groaned. She didn't like me giving my attention to Kallian, I could tell.

I was gonna like this.

"I suggest you stay here until Duncan arrives. When he comes, we will have to discuss your... cure," Marethari added, and walked off. The unknown shemlen went away with her, leaving only me, Kallian and Merrill.

"Now that she's gone, who wants to explore those ruins?" I asked, a cheeky grin on my face.

"Oh, I do!" Merrill exclaimed, full of excitement. "There could be so much lore, so much history... we have to go!"

"Are... you sure?" Kallian added. "You did almost die out there..."

"I don't care for the history," I noted, and saw Merrill's disappointment instantly "But, I must find Tamlen... Tamlen's body, anyway. We shall have to return him to the earth,"

"Oh that too, definitely, lethallin," Merrill quickly added, obviously ashamed of herself for not thinking that.

"Oh all right... let's go," Kallian groaned. I faked a confused look at her.

"Well, if you don't want to go..." I turned around and walked off, with Merrill following me like a puppy.

"Oh, I do, forget I said anything," Kallian caught up, obviously wanting my attention. I heard Merrill groan again. She probably disapproved of my meddling with the city girl. This would be interesting..

Once again I reached the eluvian. We had fought many a tainted creature to get here, they were probably darkspawn. Merrill instantly became fascinated with it, but I did not allow her to get close.

"We can't have a repeat of the Tamlen incident," I said to her. She nodded in understanding. We searched around the area, looking for Tamlen's body but we found nothing. I was utterly confused.

"Maybe the mirror did this too?" Kallian questioned. I could tell she was not familiar with anything here.

"It's an eluvian, lethallan. And it is quite possible-"

"Kallian? What are you doing here?" Duncan marched into the room. Kallian instantly stopped what she was doing and froze in her space. "I told you it was too dangerous for you to come out here,"

"It is my fault, lethallin. I convinced her and Merrill to come here," I explained, stepping forward.

"Even after your Keeper instructed you not to? Incredibly brave. Come, we should return to your clan. I need to speak with Marethari," Duncan did not even tell me off. We then returned to camp with him, fighting all the darkspawn that were in our way. It was much easier with Duncan to assist us, this time.

"Da'len, I thought I told you two to stay at camp?" Was the first thing that Marethari said. I bowed my head in shame.

"I was just looking for Tamlen's body, Keeper, unfortunately though we found nothing," I explained myself "I asked Merrill and Kallian to join me, as so I would not get hurt," Marethari shook her head at me, but then walked off. Merrill and Duncan followed her, leaving only me and Kallian.

I walked towards the fire at the centre of camp. I lowered my head and placed my hand against my chest, and began to sing.

"Hahren na melana sahlin

Emma ir abelas

Souver'inan isala hamin

Vhenan him dor'felas

In uthenera na revas

Vir sulahn'nehn

Vir dirthera

Vir samahl la numin

Vir lath sa'vunin

Vir sulahn'nehn

Vir dirthera

Vir samahl la numin

Vir lath sa'vunin"

"What was that about?" Kallian asked me. I turned around to face her.

"It is the song we Dalish sing at funerals, to welcome our people to the earth. Although we have no body of Tamlen's to return to the earth, I thought I should sing for him nonetheless," I explained to her.

She half-smiled and asked me "May you teach me the song?" I smiled at her and nodded.

"I would gladly pass on this knowledge to other elvhen, even you, lethallan," I replied. I spent the next half hour teaching her the elvhen song, and what it would translate to in her native language. Afterwards she knew it so well she started singing it with the clan when they honoured Tamlen's death. Afterwards, Keeper Marethari, Merrill, Duncan and his other recruit walked up to us.

"The Keeper and I have spoken and we have come to an arrangement that involves you," Duncan instantly said.

"Unfortunately..." Merrill babbled on the side.

"My order is in need of help. You are in need of a cure. When we leave, I hope you will join us. You would make an excellent Grey Warden," Duncan explained to me.

"What?!" I yelped, as if someone had just stood on my toe.

"I am afraid, this is the only way, da'len. Becoming a Grey Warden is the only cure to this taint," Keeper Marethari added, in sorrow.

"Then... I suppose I will join you," I directed at Duncan, and bowed my head in respect.

"I welcome you to the order. It is rare to have a Dalish amongst us but they have always served with distinction," Duncan replied warmly.

"I know you'll do your clan proud, da'len," Marethari added "Come then, da'len. Before the Creators guide you from us, let your clan embrace you one last time,"

I walked off with my clan surrounding me, all saying their farewells. I was just about to leave when I heard one voice call on me.

"Wait, Theron!" Merrill ran up to me. I turned around to face her.

She placed a ring in my hands. "This ring will prevent the darkness taking over you, for a time. I thought you should have it because you know..."

"Ma serannas, Merrill," I smiled at her, and put on the ring. She looked at me with great sorrow.

"This is it, then?" She replied, her voice full of upset. "The clan will be leaving soon,"

"This is it, da'assan," I answered her. She then hugged me, which was a rare occurance for Merrill.

"Ma'arlath, da'vhenan," she whispered in my ear, and turned away from me, blushing. I stood there confused for a few minutes.

"We should leave," Duncan noted, and I nodded. I followed them out of the Brecilian forest, my mind full of questions. Questions that will never have answers. It is unfortunate, that Merrill did not tell me before. Perhaps we could have even had something. But it is too late to dwell upon that now. I should focus on the new life I would lead, among the shemlen. Among the Grey Wardens.