Chapter 5

[Meet the Family]

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Adeline. Her name was Adeline Tabris. Daveth walked by the skinny Elf's side as she guided him back to the Alienage. She had invited him to stay the night, when he explained that he had just come to Denerim, and had even offered to bring him to dinner with her family. "Dad's gone with his employer to Highever for a week," she explained once they reached her home. It was a decent-sized house, compared to those around it – the place wasn't falling apart, and looked clean and well taken care of – with one main room with a table and a fire, and two small side rooms to the left and right.

Adeline told him to wait while she changed, heading to the room on the right for a few minutes. Daveth looked up at the hearth, spotting a few small knick-knacks; some broken stones with clear and colored crystals inside, twisted bits of wood and gnarled roots, and a strange bone-white tangle of what looked like an animal's antler. He had never seen something quite like it – the branches curled inward like a delicate basket, and the color at the tips was almost blue.

"Halla horn." Daveth jumped – he hadn't noticed the Elf return; Adeline moved silently when she walked, even over the creaky floorboards in the main room. "Or at least, that's what my mom used to tell me." She brushed past him before Daveth could reply, going into the room to the left; he could hear the sliding and creaking of old drawers, and the shuffling of clothes being moved around just out of sight, accompanied occasionally by small, annoyed clucks of her tongue.

She emerged a few minutes later, tossing him some clothes. "These are my dad's. They might be a bit big, but it's all we have," she said apologetically. Daveth took the clothes gratefully, entering the other room and changing. It was a simple shirt and brown pants, patched in places where the cloth had torn – the knees and elbows – but the clothing was otherwise well cared for, and smelled faintly of flowers; Daveth spotted a few dried flowers on the ground by the drawers, where they had been scattered in Adeline's search.

Once he had finished changing, and Adeline had hung Daveth's clothes to dry by the hearth – she said she'd stoke the fire on their return – the two walked through the Alienage, heading towards the Elder's house, where Adeline said her two cousins, Shianni and Soris, stayed. Daveth couldn't help but notice the wary looks that were shot his way, and Adeline shrugged. "You're a human – they're afraid you're going to cause trouble. Don't take it personally; it's just how things are," she remarked.

The girl stopped by another mid-sized home, knocking on the door. Daveth could see an old, dried wreath of woven branches hanging over the door, and small flower-boxes lined the windows. Even among such suffering, people can still plant flowers…he thought, trying not to smile; despite their demure and servile nature towards others, he could see that the Elves were a hearty people – quiet in their suffering, but still spirited, deep down.

Daveth could hear an excited squeal from inside the house, and a little red-haired Elf girl threw the door open, her brown eyes huge as she looked up at Adeline. "You're safe!" the girl shouted, leaping into Adeline's arms. The older girl chuckled, patting her cousin's back as Shianni hugged her. "We heard there was a commotion in the Market District, and that someone saw you jump off…" Shianni trialed off as she spotted Daveth standing a little ways off.

She squeaked with fear – she had never seen a Chasind before – and ran back into the house, hiding behind Valendrian as he came to the door. "Ah, Adeline, come for supper?" the Elf asked, smiling gently at the girl, and she nodded, glancing back at Daveth.

"I was…um…wondering if an acquaintance of mine could come along," she murmured. "He just came to Denerim, and doesn't have a place to stay," she explained. Valendrian nodded slightly, extending a hand to the teenager.

"Welcome, young man," he greeted. "I am Valendrian, Elder and administrator of this Alienage."

"Daveth Blackwood," Daveth introduced himself, shaking the Elder's hand. The three entered the house, and Adeline pulled Valendrian aside, murmuring something to him as Daveth stood awkwardly in the main room, looking at the two younger Elves – they were watching him like a pair of cornered rabbits watching a wolf.

One of them, the boy, looked around Adeline's age – fourteen, about – with dark red hair and wary, grey-green eyes. This is Soris, Daveth thought, recalling Adeline's descriptions of her cousins – Soris was the quiet, almost surly one, while Shianni was the excited puppy. Soris was standing in front of the younger girl, who was clutching at her skirts and staring at Daveth with big, brown eyes.

"Um…hello," Daveth tried, walking carefully over to the pair. "I'm Daveth."

"…Soris," the boy answered, building up his nerves and extending a hand in greeting. "This is my cousin, Shianni," he added, the girl nodding mutely next to him. They stood about awkwardly, shuffling their feet as the floorboards creaked beneath them. They could hear a faint chattering in the next room – Adeline was explaining to Valendrian what had happened – and in the kitchen, the warm crackling of the fire spilled soft light through the doorway.

"Are you a Chasind?" Shianni piped up, peeking out from behind Soris. Daveth chuckled slightly, shaking his head.

"My Pa was half-Chasind. I guess I do sort of look like a Wilder, don't I?" he replied, getting a small, shy smile from the girl. A warm, savory smell drifted towards Daveth from the kitchen, and Shianni giggled as his stomach rumbled. "Ah…sorry…" he murmured, embarrassed.

"Ah! The stew!" Shianni suddenly remembered, running back to the kitchen to tend the food, nearly tripping over her long apron and skirts in her hurry. Soris looked after her, shaking his head and chuckling slightly.

"Scatterbrain," he murmured affectionately, crossing his arms before looking back up at Daveth.

The two glanced aside as they heard Adeline and Valendrian speaking, their voices rising as they began to argue. "Who sodding cares where the money came from? We can actually afford to buy our houses! We won't get kicked out at the landlord's whim!" Adeline said, and Valendrian scoffed.

"And when they discover where that money was taken from, you'll be arrested – don't think they'll spare you because you're young," Valendrian retorted, and Adeline made a frustrated sound in her throat.

"I know that, Valendrian! The garrison killed little Danni today!" she yelled, and the Elder went quiet. "He stole a loaf of bread. It wasn't even very big. The guards kicked him and kicked him until he stopped screaming," Adeline's voice was deathly soft. "They have no pity for us, Hahren. I know that – we're lower than the dirt under their feet." Daveth glanced at Soris, whose eyes were wide with fear at his cousin's words. "But that merchant won't find me – nearly a third of the Elf population in Denerim has red hair, and he didn't get a good look at my face," she added.

Valendrian remained silent for a long time, letting out a long sigh. "That it has come to this…" he murmured. "Children stealing to keep their families fed." His eyes were sad as he looked at the girl, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Please be careful, Adeline. You're the only one left in your father's life. If anything happened to you…" Adeline nodded slightly, her eyes dark.

"I know," she whispered.

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