Tamlen and Aeryn followed the well-tread path to the Keeper's aravel. They had done this far too many times before; the Keeper merely had to glance at the two young elves for them to understand where to go. Marethari did not escort them, so Aeryn assumed that she would meet them there later. The pair set off towards her tent, ready to face the consequences when they came.
Well, Aeryn thought bitterly. At least she trusts us.
As they were travelling, a group of Tamlen's friends appeared from out of nowhere. They were older than Tamlen by a couple of years, making them older than Aeryn by quite a few. She never understood why he talked to them, but here they were, walking towards her, not bothering to hide their amusement.
"What did you get into this time?" asked a young elf by the name of Sidhion.
"Yeah, what were you two up to?" asked his friend, Feredir, with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
His implications were far from subtle, and he clearly enjoyed the reaction his comment had created. A faint red started to creep up Tamlen's ears, while Aeryn felt the familiar sense of irritation that arose in her veins whenever she had the misfortune to speak to these boys.
"Listen, len'alas lath'din," Aeryn spat. "Why don't you keep your nose out of other people's business?"
Feredir simply chuckled, nudging Tamlen.
"You got yourself a keeper," he said sarcastically. "And not like a Marethari Keeper. This bitch is nowhere near great enough. Or sane enough, for that matter..."
"Hey!" Tamlen yelled. "Don't talk to her like that!"
"What am I supposed to say to her? She never speaks, and when she does, it's like she's going to gut you or something," he said. "She's nothing like her father..."
Aeryn's irritation quickly escalated to anger.
"What do you know about my father?" she asked, venom coating her words.
"More than you, apparently," he sneered, his smirk widening as he realized the effect his taunting was having on her. "Honey, I'm quite a bit older than you. I was alive when he was Keeper..."
"When he was WHAT?" Aeryn spluttered, her surprise overriding her anger.
Feredir raised an eyebrow. "You didn't even know that? I mean, I know nobody around here tells you anything, but..."
"You're lying," Aeryn interrupted, her voice shaking.
"Nope," he responded, amused.
"You do this to me all the time. You just like to make me angry."
"You keep telling yourself that, honey," he said. "Anyways, it was good to see you, Tamlen." He gave Aeryn one final smirk and strutted away.
Tamlen stood aghast for a moment, staring at his partner. He knew she was trying her hardest to keep her face expressionless, but he saw through her eyes the inner battle that raged inside her mind.
He's lying, Aeryn told herself aggressively. He's an idiot and he's just trying to get on my nerves. But there was something deep down that refused to belief that, no matter how many times her mind repeated it. "When your father was Keeper..." Who would make something like that up? And he's right; nobody tells me anything in this clan...
"Why are you even friends with him?" Aeryn spat, directing all of her anger and confusion at Tamlen.
"I mean, I'm not really," he muttered, pressured by her steely glare. "When it comes to friends, there's not many options around here." Seeing Aeryn's unsatisfied expression, he added, "And I'm not like you. I'm not strong enough to just lock myself away and not talk to anyone who doesn't meet my standards."
"Yeah, well, I wouldn't have to do that if everyone wasn't such an idiot," she said, scowling.
Tamlen chuckled. "Aha! So we've gotten to the root of the problem. It's not just them… everyone is an idiot!"
"Okay, not everyone. You know what I mean. It's not even anything specific, but unless you're an interesting person, I'm not going to go out of my way to talk to you."
"So I guess I'm an interesting person?" Tamlen asked playfully, trying to keep the conversation away from Feredir.
"No, you're an idiot too," Aeryn said.
"Am not!"
Aeryn raised an eyebrow. "Anyone who is sane enough to hang out with me must be," she said, her words turning bitter.
"Hey, don't let what he said get to you." Tamlen said consolingly. "He's the idiot. A right proper idiot."
"Then why do you talk to him?" Aeryn asked again angrily.
"Because I'm also an idiot who can't stand up for myself. Without you, I mean."
Aeryn smiled cynically. "Just punch him in the face next time, okay?"
"Consider it done," Tamlen said, returning the smile.
They proceeded forward, but a thought still plagued Aeryn's mind.
"What... what he was saying... do you think it's true?" Aeryn asked hesitantly. "About my father I mean…"
"About your father? No, of course not, he was just trying to get under your skin," Tamlen replied truthfully, or at least what he thought was truthfully.
Hearing those words aloud removed some of Aeryn's worries. And yet, a sinking pit still remained at the bottom of her stomach…
"I know," she lied. "Come on, let's just get to Marethari's before she banishes us from the clan or something."
The two elves continued on in silence, a feat that they probably couldn't accomplish again even if they tried. After all of the distractions, Aeryn was less worried about the Keeper's punishment. It would be no worse than usual...cleaning pots, working for Master Ilen... mindless chores that she didn't even mind anymore.
They quickly arrived at the Keeper's aravel. It was one of the largest figures in camp, but it was tucked away in the corner to eliminate any sense of superiority. The wooden sides were intricately carved with symbols of Dalish lore, from the verses of the Vir Tanadahl to the entire Pantheon of gods. A large banner flew proudly in the air, bearing the universal sign of the Dalish, a green mask made of leaves. Underneath it was the script "Sabrae," distinguishing their clan from the others. Aeryn ducked underneath the narrow doorway, noticing for the first time the words "Andaran atish'an" etched into the frame.
The inside was almost as stunning as the exterior. The room was engulfed with naturalistic hues of green and yellow, almost exactly replicating the colors of the forest. Tapestries draped the walls, each of them hand-woven by members of the clan. Chests and bookshelves stacked the floor, containing the rare scraps of Dalish history that had managed to be preserved.
Even Aeryn, who had visited this place so many times before, either for punishments or lessons, continued to be blown away by its beauty. The elf still found details that she had never noticed before, even after practically living here for the majority of her life.
Aeryn headed for the bed in the corner, which was one of the only pieces of furniture in the room that wasn't loaded with maps and other bits of parchment. In fact, it was perfectly untouched; the Keeper, like the rest of the clan, preferred to sleep out in the open, underneath the stars.
As Aeryn sat down, she noticed hinges connecting the bed to the wall. She figured that they allowed the frame to fold up in the corner, securing it in place for travel. The whole room was probably mechanized like this; after all, they could never stay in one place too long. Nothing was ever permanent with the Dalish... though Aeryn supposed that nothing needed to be. This place was perfectly beautiful, just as it was.
It was a place built to reclaim their fragmented history and to preserve it, despite the difficulty. Fly straight and do not waver. It was a place capable of being bent, bruised, and even forcibly transported, without losing any of its character. Bend, but never break. It was a place made by the clan, representing all of the elves in it, and all of the elves that came before it. Together, we are stronger than one.
Aeryn sighed. She really did love the Dalish. Admittedly, she didn't speak to many of the elves, and she even despised a few of them, particularly Feredir. But overall, she viewed her clan as her family, as it rightly was.
Tamlen sat next to Aeryn on the bed, putting his arm around her.
She fidgeted. "Don't, Marethari can be here any moment-"
Almost on cue, the Keeper's small frame emerged through the doorway. She looked up to see a flash of Tamlen's arm pulling away from the annoyed elf beside him. Marethari shook her head slightly, but did not say anything.
"I take it you're not hurt?" she asked, almost immediately.
"Errr... no," Aeryn replied timidly.
"No more than I expected. You two can take care of yourselves," she muttered, turning away from them. Aeryn did not respond, and Marethari did not speak again for a long time. There was an extended period of silence as she walked around the room, straightening books, dusting tapestries… doing everything but addressing the two young elves sitting on her bed.
Suddenly, she sighed, putting her face in her hands. Turning around, she looked at Aeryn and Tamlen straight in the eyes.
"I don't know what I have to do to get through to you two," she said, exasperated.
Tamlen's head fell in shame. Aeryn, on the other hand, kept staring at the Keeper.
"Marethari, we're back now, there's really no harm done -" she began.
"No harm done? We had to postpone the ceremony until tomorrow, child!" Marethari retorted. "And for what? What were you doing that was so important?"
Aeryn fell silent, but Tamlen regained some of his courage and started to speak, "We saw a Halla, Keeper. She was one of our own that had escaped, so we tried to follow her..."
"Foolish child!" Marethari exclaimed. "You should know that we do not own the Halla. If she was running away, let her run away! If she returns, then she will have accepted the partnership between our races." There was a pause, and then she continued, "I cannot tell if you are being serious, or if you are merely trying to fabricate some feeble attempt at an excuse."
Tamlen's gaze returned to his lap; he was clearly lost for words.
"I don't know how many times I have to go through this with you two," Marethari stated. We have rules for a reason. It is not up to you which ones to follow. Do you consider yourself above the rules? Or do you simply not care for your clan?"
Aeryn answered, "No, Marethari, I was honestly just thinking about how much I love-"
"Then start acting like it! Aeryn, your behavior these past few weeks has been shameful. The purpose of the ceremony toda- tomorrow is to enter into adulthood. In the near future, if you don't start performing your tasks on time, the elves of this clan will directly suffer. If your clan won't be able to rely on you, to trust you..."
"What about me trusting my clan then, eh?" Aeryn blurted, her anger rising. "You expect me to be an adult tomorrow, and yet everyone still continues to treat me as a child!"
"Have you ever considered the fact that you are acting like a child?" Marethari snapped.
"I am not the broken orphan that everyone thinks I am!" Aeryn exclaimed, tears building in her eyes.
Marethari paused, taken aback by her harsh comment. "Of course not, girl, I do not think that way," she replied softly.
"Everyone else does! Don't tell me you can't see it!" Aeryn continued, refusing to give in to the Keeper's genuine concern. She had no place to be kind, not when Aeryn was mad at her...
"I do see, but they are mistaken. I would correct them, but I am rather inexperienced in these matters." Marethari sighed. "Their intentions are not ill; they do truly love you-"
"If they loved me, they wouldn't keep me in the dark about everything!" Aeryn interrupted indignantly. "About my childhood, my parents..."
"Aeryn, this is not the time-" said the Keeper, her voice growing wary.
"How many times have I heard that one?" Aeryn snarled. The words of Feredir, which hadn't left her mind, crawled to the tip of her tongue. "Tell me, Marethari, who was the Keeper before you?"
Something in the Keeper's light blue eyes snapped. Aeryn saw the pain in her wrinkled face, the struggle she was going through to remain composed.
"Out," she said curtly. "I want both of you out. Punishments seem to have no effect on you two, so this time I will not grant you any-"
"Answer my question!" Aeryn exclaimed, infuriated that she was changing the subject.
"Aeryn, listen to me-" the Keeper pleaded.
"Marethari!"
"There is a time and a place for everything, girl."
"And I thought you actually trusted me..."
"Aeryn, you need to learn that you do not have free reign over everything! There are things that have gone unsaid that should never have been kept from you. And for that, I apologize. But you need to trust me when I say that now is not the right time-"
"You're impossible!" Aeryn shouted, rising from the bed.
"Aeryn!" Marethari said crossly.
"You told me to get out! So I'm leaving!" Aeryn cried, wiping her eyes with her arm. She stormed towards the door, passing the many books and trinkets perched precariously on the tables. A white hot fury licked her insides; the elf was overcome with an urge to break everything, to show the Keeper a fraction of the pain she was experiencing. To destroy all of the knowledge, all of the secrets that had been purposefully kept from her. Resisting the temptation, Aeryn strode out the door without another word.
"Aeryn Mahariel! Get back her!" Marethari shouted. But she did not return.
There was silence as the Keeper put her face in her hands once again. Tamlen sighed, causing her to jump, as though she had forgotten he was still there.
"Do not speak to her again this evening," Marethari said softly. "She needs to figure this out herself."
Tamlen simply nodded, knowing that he would do the exact opposite. The young elf walked towards the door, but stopped when he reached the frame.
"Yes?" Marethari asked.
"Aeryn's father..." Tamlen began nervously. "Was he really...?"
Marethari fell silent.
"Yes," she said eventually.
His eyes widened in horror. "Then he was the Keeper who was-"
"Yes, boy," she said, cutting him off. Her last two words shook with suppressed sorrow, and Tamlen looked up to see the Keeper's eyes full of tears.
"Ma abelas," Tamlen muttered, then turned to walk out the door.
Dalish Language Notes:
aravel- vehicles the Dalish use for transportation
len'alas lath'din- dirty child no one loves
Vir Tanadahl- "Way of Three Trees"- an ideology of the Dalish
Andaran atish'an- I dwell in this place, a place of peace
Ma abelas- My apology/ my sorrow