This story may be taking over my life...and I love it! Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews!

Bioware made the place, I just may have painted over it. (Don't tell them!) :)

And Then I Do What?

The next day Lodan woke me up early. Too early for any self respecting creature, and at that moment I knew I didn't have any self respect.

After our breakfast-bread and rabbit, breakfast of champions-Lodan had the courage to strike up a conversation with the dangerous beast that sat beside him, or that is probably what I looked like.

"When is your Name day?" he asked.

"Name day? That supposed to be when everyone celebrates the origin of one's name? No?" he shook his head in slight confusion. I guess I should have known better to say that, but the fatigue was affecting the important parts of my brain.

"It's the day that you were brought into the world, and we celebrate it, or at least the shemlen do."

"Oh! I call it Birthday! Yah, um, I celebrate that on the last day of the year. I was born mere minutes before the new year." I smiled, basking in my small claim to fame.

"A special baby indeed." Lodan was interested, "My people have a myth about children born on the marked and celebrated days of the year. In fact, if two children are born on the same day, they are destined to be together. They are said to be great leaders."

"Wow. Too bad I'm not an elf then."

"You would not mind being an elf?" I didn't think about his tone until much later, but I believe that he was expecting something much more harsher then what my answer was.

"Well, I have only ever seen you, but I pride myself on a vivid imagination. I can just imagine children and elders and adults going about their day as a clan. Not that you're ugly looking mind you. They must be more beautiful then I can try to see. And you know I just love the history, it's tragic, but you guys must have some courage to keep coming back like that. They would probably skin me alive, but I cannot wait to meet more elves!"

Lodan was silent. I hoped I hadn't offended him. But I was pleasantly surprised.

"Abby, if every shemlen was kind and open-hearted as you, this land would be a much better place."

I blushed and looked at my bowl, twiddling the spoon. I changed the subject awkwardly to get it away from me, "What about your name day?"

"In the fall," he looked amused at my abrupt question. "I will tell you when it is, and I will help make dinner. There is a special course to have and we will sing and frolic all day, or you will because I may fall and break a hip!"

I laughed. " Who knew you had such humor!"

"Not even I Abby, until you came. Not even I." He then chuckled at my cheeks turning colour yet again.

As Lodan looked for sticks-to practice with until I could block him without him chopping me up like a carrot- I thought about what I was about to learn. The training was for my protection, and what from? Bears, rabid wolves and other sinister animals. Then there was the fact that I had almost died, because of the two men. How was I supposed to defend myself from people? I couldn't even defend myself from my cousins let alone a psychotic murderer. I understood animals, how they reacted to situations when they were scared or angry, humans were another ball game altogether. That's why my major was biology not the mentalist program.

I smiled at the use of my North American terms secretly.

"Right," Lodan snapped me out of my meanderings. "Let us get started with posture."

I couldn't believe how hard it was just to stand correctly, let alone actually swing a twig around. We spent a fair amount of time learning how to stay still, balance, and holding the "sword".

"I feel really silly," I remarked after Lodan put my hand in the right position yet again.

"You say that now, but this will save your life many times over. What are you doing?" he sighed.

I had just switched from two hands down to one. "Sorry. I just like to use both hands sometimes and then just one. I feel like it's more versatile."

Lodan watched my hands in frustration. He muttered some Dalish, of which I was absolutely sure were swears, and his face knotted up.

"What's wrong? I can pick one if you want…I think." I like both equally.

"Nothing is wrong, you just need a hand-and-a-half sword."

"And that makes your panties go in a bunch because?"

He tried to keep his face straight, and failed. "The dwarves do not make swords like that and they do not appear that often. The shemlen just do not take the extra time to learn the style for it. I for one know nothing about it."

"So, what next?"

"I suppose we will have to travel to the nearest village and have one made for you. If you have a sword that is not made for you it will be like throwing around a club in the hopes that you may hit someone, dangerous and useless to you. You will still have to learn"-he smirked at my hopeful face turning into a crestfallen one-"but for now, you will practice with what I have here."

That night I was so tired and sore. Lodan had not been easy on me and had no trouble beating me to a pulp. I was only able to block him once or twice before he "killed" or "injured me gravely". After that it was bow practice.

By then I was, for a no better word, pooped, but I tried the best I could do. What I managed to do was actually pull his bow. To put this into perspective at home I could pull a forty pound compound bow with no troubles. I thought I could manage this string tied to a piece of wood, but I was clearly mistaken.

"If you could not pull a simple bow, how did you hunt? Did you wait in the trees like a squirrel and jump upon your prey?" He was losing patience and I could not blame him.

It amazed me how a small part of that was true. The tree part anyway.

"I can, it's just our bows at home are…more intricately made to help with the tension."

"Abigail!" His harsh voice startled me. "I do not care what happened "back at home"! You are here now and you have to live and learn like everyone else!"

I tried to push back the tears but failed miserably, so I just faced the target I was trying to shoot at.

"Abby, I did not mean to snap like that. I am so sorry, I just expect too much of you. I do not want you to get hurt."

I pulled the bow in frustration and let the arrow fly. I was off the target and it flew into the bush.

"Here," I gave the bow to him and trampled off into the bush.

"Abigail,"

"I saw it go over there," I said stubbornly and stumbled on a root. "See, its right here." It was stuck in the ground. I started pulling and failed at that as well.

"Abby, let me do that,"and he took the arrow and expertly freed it from the ground.

"Lodan you wait and see. I'm going to be the best student anyone's going to have," I sobbed.

"I believe you Abby. I am sorry to have ever doubted you."