Clarissa awoke to the sound of chirping and birdsong. She opened her eyes and winced as the bright sunlight stung her. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed something obscuring her view of the sky above. Her stirrings must have gone noticed, however, as the something shifted, forming an almond-shaped face, familiar brown eyes, and a soft smile.
"Stayed up all night?" Clarissa asked. Her back was sore from lying on the grass all night. Bethany shrugged, eyes wide and somewhat energetic. "It's a trick father taught me. Magic, in this regard, is quite useful." She said, smiling at the memory. Clarissa watched her brown eyes drift away before removing her head from Bethany's embrace and stood. She scanned the camp, but could not find Merrill.
"She left a few hours ago. Volunteered to scout the way forward." Bethany said, reading her thoughts. "I would've gone with her, but with your head being where it was, I couldn't exactly move." She smiled again. It made Clarissa blush slightly, but she managed not to show it.
"Sorry, mom." Clarissa retorted, swatting her shoulder. "Any idea of when she'll be back?"
"I don't really know. She'd said we were close to the top. That's why the spirit was so sensitive to our presence. Apparently, a graveyard resides at the peak of Sundermount."
"Then I suppose that makes our encounter last night," Clarissa pointed at the Revenant's resting place, "a run-in with the night shift."
"More or less." Bethany said, busy dousing the fire. A thought clouded her eyes, and she asked, "Hey, Clare. About our Elven companion. Do you notice anything strange about her? I mean, she's adorable to anyone at first glance, but I have the feeling that she's not all that she seems." Her thoughts flashed back to the day before, when she spied Merrill crouched among the bushes.
"The way her own people avoided her, I'd say there's something fishy going on, blood magic included. But if she's smart enough to maintain such a facade, she has to have a good reason to hide it from us. We just have to get to the mountaintop right now. If she wants our trust like she says she does, she has to give hers to us in return." Clarissa answered, "That said, I wouldn't mind another baby sister."
Bethany feigned hurt. "What, am I not a good enough little sister for you, Clarissa Hawke?" She said jokingly, eyes twinkling. "Come on, Merrill said she'd be waiting for us some ways ahead." She didn't notice Clarissa's suddenly pensive expression behind her.
Merrill had been waiting for them farther along the passage. As the sisters approached her, they took notice of their surroundings, which was adorned with broken stone pillars and half-eroded arches. Vegetation had overgrown the ruins, vines and shrubs that accentuate the monuments' history. Giant slabs of stone protruded from the grass, giving the landscape an old, abandoned aura. Even in the midday sun, the chill in the air was evident, making both their spines prickle with the cold, foreboding silence.
As they advanced through the throng of rock formations that occasionally blocked their paths, the trees around them thinned and the grass they trod on took on a yellow-ish colour, and the slabs of stone became more clustered and more prominent. In addition to the tantalizing cold, Bethany felt the sting of raw Mana in the air. It carried much more power than when she first felt it after they had crossed the spiritual barrier, tendrils of long forgotten magic that permeated the clearing in front of them. The saturation in the air was so strong that her eyes could see the pulsating, dormant power coursing through the grass, into the air, then back down again.
On high alert, the sisters trailed behind Merrill and came to the center of the clearing, where they could see a particular slab of stone at the edge of the mountaintop, adorned with a single, flickering candle that burned with a strange light. As they approached, the soft wind that had set the grass rippling beforehand suddenly stopped, as if something had decided to hold its breath. The air grew peculiarly still, as if in worried anticipation.
"Give me the amulet." Merrill said. Her voice took on a commanding edge, and had lost its innocent tone and naïve bearing. Clarissa eyed her uneasily, but reached into the pouch and handed it to the Elven mage regardless, although her other hand never left the pommel of her sword. She felt Bethany tense like a coiled snake as the clearing thrummed with power, increasing step by step as Merrill approached the altar.
Sundermount mountain froze in place as a lone elf stood at its most sacred ground, flanked by two unnerved humans. The birds ceased their songs, the leaves cut short their monotonous rustling, and the animals that ran free became as silent as ghosts as it waited.
"Hahren na Melana Sahlin..." Merrill began, her voice even lower than usual and acquiring a ritualistic air. As the lines left her throat, a wind swept through the clearing, as if the it provided the melody for the haunting chant.
"Emma ir Abelas, Souver'inan Isala Hamin. Vhenan him dor'felas..." Merrill continued. Bethany felt streams of Mana drained from the tombstones around her and flowing onto the altar, into the red amulet resting there. The ground itself shook as the mountain graveyard fed itself into the ruby gemstone.
The winds strengthened to a howl, ripping through the leaves and the grass with an force unheard of for generations. The rustling and snapping of twigs and branches filled Clarissa's senses as she shielded her eyes from the dirt kicked up by the gusts. Bethany fought to stand her ground as the wind battled against her footing. The magic in the air intensified, and a distant roar, faint but distinct, reached her ears.
Still, Merrill continued her litany.
Leaves flew around her in halos of flickering green. The amulet flashed bright yellow, dangerously red, then a piercing blue, changing colours as the Elven lines awakened whatever resided within. Bethany felt it. Clarissa, even without magic, felt it as well.
Beams of light lanced out of the amulet, dwarfing the midday sun in its intensity and reaching out like spears into the dark stormclouds forming above. A low growling emanated from the small pendant, a monotonous protest of impatience that echoed the low rumble of thunder on the horizon.
Merrill lifted her gaze into the gray blanket that covered the sun itself, and with a slight hint of regret, completed the final verse of her spell.
"In Uthenera... Nar revas."
Clarissa and Bethany registered the final word with alarm.
Revas.
Freedom.
With thunderous report, the amulet shattered, releasing a great blast of physical force that knocked Merrill and the sisters to the ground. The altar cracked. The great slab of stone, being unable to withstand the tremendous force, splintered and was literally blasted apart. A fiery light surrounded the remains of the altar, making Clarissa shield her eyes as she tried to pierce the veil it had wrought.
The wind subsided, leaving the mountain strangely silent. It was as if the very life of the forest was sapped away. The dreadful silence was only broken by the occasional thunder, punctuating the scene in a dark, ominous fashion. Clarissa, being the steadfast warrior that she was, quickly got back on her feet, eyes on the light, hand on her sword. Bethany got up as well, right hand flashing a deep blue in preparation to work magic, left grasping her staff tightly, knuckles turning white.
A silhouette of a person emerged in the curtain of light, fading in and out of view. Merrill staggered and stood, head bowed in fear and reverence. The shifting curtain dimmed somewhat, and Clarissa could register a feminine profile. Horns protruded out of the silhouette's head, giving it a primal, outlandish appearance.
The figure in the light took a step forward, revealing pointed, knee-high steel boots that gleamed in reflection. A slim, yet imposing body followed, clad in a tight crimson corset that seemed decidedly ancient, yet strangely entrancing. Clarissa's grip on her sword faltered as a spark of recognition ignited behind her eyes, as her violet-blue eyes came into contact with a gaze of molten gold.
Flemeth's eyes wandered from Clarissa, taking in the mountaintop graveyard. Clarissa saw her inhale deeply, as a newborn would taking her first breath, as a dragon would heeding her prey's scent. She was just how Clarissa remembered her : Unseemly, but powerful; Secluded, but wise; Deceptively kind, yet possessed of a wrath few could match. Her thoughts flashed to and fro, remembering the day they first met. She was unsure as to loosen the grip on her sword or tighten it.
Flemeth exhaled slowly, as if she had all the time in the world. "Ah... And here we are at last." She said, her voice strangely cheerful. "It's as I remembered, this place." Her dark yellow eyes traveling between Clarissa, Bethany and Merrill, she smiled contentedly, her expression revealing nothing else than her satisfaction.
"Andaran atish'an, Asha'bellanar." Merrill said, dropping to one knee as she would when worshipping a goddess. Flemeth looked at her, amusement sparkling in her eyes.
"One of the People, I see... So young and bright." She smiled, a hint of pity colouring the molten gold. "Do you know who I am, beyond that title?"
Merrill bowed even lower. Fear crept into her downcast face. "I know only a little." She croaked. Clarissa watched the exchange tensely, gaze flitting from elder to younger, from mage to shapeshifter.
"Then stand! The People bend their knee too quickly." Flemeth said, sounding like a Keeper lecturing her clan, with a touch of regret. Merrill warily stood, although she kept her head bowed.
At last, Flemeth turned upon Clarissa and Bethany, expression taking on a haughty air. She laughed softly.
"So refreshing to see someone who keeps their end of a bargain." She said, "I half expected my amulet to end up in a merchant's pocket!"
Clarissa took a breath inwardly and tried to be civil. "Apparently, possessed trinkets are not in fashion anymore." She replied with her most casual voice. Flemeth chuckled at that.
"'Twas just a piece. A small piece. But it was all I needed." Flemeth said proudly, as if accomplishing some impossible feat. Her eyes trailed away again. "A bit of security, should the inevitable occur. And if I know my Morrigan, it already has." She said, partly to herself, partly to the sisters standing before her. The way she said Morrigan made Clarissa shudder slightly despite herself. "Is that someone I should know?"
Flemeth smirked, voice acquiring a derisive tone. "She's a girl who thinks she knows what is what better than I, or anyone." Her voice changed again, pride giving way to familiar regret. "And why not? I raised her to be as she is. I cannot expect her to be any less." Her voice trailed off, and her eyes traced the southern horizon as if seeing into the faint line. Then, she focused on Clarissa again.
"Bah! I talk too much and I dawdle for far too long. 'Tis time for me to see how much these mountains have changed."
"You've been here before?" Bethany asked.
Flemeth laughed heartily. "Where have I not been to? The Wilds aren't exactly something to look at, especially when it's the same withered trees and occasional Darkspawn for decades." She said, chuckling, the previous melancholy and sorrow seemingly forgotten in the blink of an eye. The jovial mood was fleeting, however, and Clarissa found herself being watched by scrutinizing, glowing yellow orbs once again.
"Before I go, some words of advice." She said, turning to face the mountains and the thunderheads above. Her eyes darkened as she furrowed her brow, deep in thought.
"We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss, for it knows not what the void holds." She sounded as a prophet would sound when bestowing her divine cautions upon the world.
"Watch for that moment," she cautioned. "And when it comes, do not hesitate to leap!" She spread her arms wide, as a dragon would when taking to the skies.
She turned around, eyes landing on Clarissa.
"There are those who struggle against destiny, and yet only achieve an early grave." She said, eyes locked with a force Clarissa could not escape from.
"There are those who flee destiny, only to have it swallow them whole." She said, her tone making Clarissa flinch from the powerful words.
"But there are those who embrace destiny, and do not show their fear." She said, eyes conveying what words cannot. "It is only when you fall, that you learn if you can fly. The call of destiny echoes around you, Hawke the elder."
"For that which you hold dear, what will you do?"
Then she turned to Merrill, leaving Clarissa to think on her words. Merrill's head remained bowed. Flemeth laid her hand on Merrill's chin, and brought her face up like a consoling mother. "As for you, child. Step carefully. No path is darker than when your eyes are shut." Clarissa and Bethany watched as Merrill curtsied deeply. "Ma Serannas, Asha'bellanar." She replied, afraid to say more. Flemeth then backed away from the elf, and shifted her gaze of molten gold on Bethany.
Bethany attempted to hide her fear of the witch by putting on a defiant expression. Even though Flemeth was kin to her kind, she despised apostates who abused their powers. She gripped the Staff of Parthalan tightly, remaining passive, waiting for the words that would come.
Flemeth smiled, sadly.
"I see turmoil in your heart, young Hawke. I see great sorrow sowed upon your soul, and great sorrows are yet to come. But you cannot cling onto that which is past for far too long." She said, eyes staring past Bethany into the distance. She sighed. "Regret is something I know well. Take care not to hold on to it too tightly, lest the past overwhelm the present."
Bethany painfully maintained a passive expression, eyes losing their defiant gleam. Flemeth's words had struck home, both for her and the warrior standing next to her. Tears welled behind her eyes and she had to fight to push them back.
She felt Clarissa edge closer to her. Flemeth's eyes darted to her, then back to Bethany. Her poise changed somewhat, sadness replaced by smugness, the smile giving way to a forbidden glint in her eyes.
"Ah... I see I may have outstayed my welcome. You have my thanks. And my sympathy." With a final look at the three of them, Flemeth casually strolled to the edge of the mountain graveyard and disappeared into the trees with the rustling of leaves.
Clarissa, Bethany and Merrill stood in silent contemplation long after Flemeth's departure.
"She's right." Clarissa said aloud after some moments, looking up and meeting Bethany's troubled eyes. Clarissa saw her brown eyes reflect her own. She had to muster the courage to continue. She had run away from everything for so long. Was she ready to admit? Was she ready to confront her guilt?
She took a deep breath.
"We've dwelt on the past for far too long." She said. "When Carver died, I couldn't stop to grieve over him. The Darkspawn were upon me, as they were upon you as well."
"At that moment, I hadn't something I couldn't for the past year. I took the pain, the heartbreak, and the regret, and I changed it. In the place of my grievance, I instilled fury. In the place of my heartbreak, I vowed vengeance." She said, the words flowing now, the part of her that had remained undisclosed for an entire year now breaking free. "During those moments, I ran free. My mind was clear, and I had a clear view of what I had to do." It had been so clear to her, as she cut down Hurlock after Hurlock.
"When it was over, however, when we were on the ship, I looked back at myself, and I broke." She continued, the memory taking her breath away. "I felt the pain, the heartbreak and the regret come back. And I allowed it to remain."
"Do you remember? When I met your eyes on the ship?" She remembered it clearly. She had looked into Bethany's eyes with an empty expression. Leandra had been some ways away, wishing time to herself. Bethany had returned her gaze with an unspoken message, conveyed through the sadness that veiled her eyes.
What do we do now?
Clarissa had all but broken at that moment, the emotions, old and new, rushing back at once, overwhelming her.
She had squeezed her eyes shut, trying to resist. Despite her efforts, a single tear found its way free and rolled down her cheek.
"I was so afraid then, of all that I had on my shoulders, of all that I had taken on and lost to."
She had quickly turned away, the tears streaming uncontrollably then. Even though she couldn't see it, but she felt Bethany's silent sobs as well.
Her valiant, strong younger sister, who had always looked up to her for guidance, for companionship, for protection. And she showed her her weakness, her inability.
"I was so afraid that I'd fail you as well, and Mother, and Aveline. But instead of coming to terms to my grief, I had allowed it to define me until this day. I had allowed myself to wallow in regret, to lose sight of what is most important." She said, feeling herself again, after one whole year.
She walked up to Bethany and took her sister's hand in her own. "You and Mother are the only family I have left. You two are what I hold dear in my heart." She was tempted to say only "you", but that didn't seem fair to Mother and all the sacrifices she had made for the three of them. It was not the right time. Silently, Clarissa waited for Bethany to speak.
A grateful smile found its place on Bethany's face. "Thank you, sister. For all you have done. We have dwelt too much on the past." She looked Clarissa in the eye.
"It's time to move on." Bethany said, the determined spark lighting her eyes once again.
The sisters stood there, relieved, as the last of their boulders left their renewed hearts. They were interrupted, however, by the sound of monotonous applause.
Merrill stood beside them, clapping her hands together and beaming. She immediately stopped and looked at the ground as they noticed her. "Was that... the wrong thing to do?" She asked sheepishly, blushing horribly and making Clarissa and Bethany burst into joyous laughter.
They flanked Merrill and put their arms on Merrill shoulders, forming a humanoid chain.
"Come on, Merrill. We still have to find you a new home." Clarissa said, making Merrill smile brightly. "In Kirkwall?" She asked.
"Yes, Merrill, in Kirkwall." Bethany answered and shared her sister's grin.
Together, they walked down the once-solemn path as the clouds gave way to the clear blue sky of a bright Kirkwall afternoon.
/Hello there!
I hope you have been enjoying the story so far. I do hope you review my chapters should you find anything of note or interesting to you, as it tells me someone actually does read my work and I can improve even more!
This particular chapter was loosely based upon the Flemeth encounter on Sundermount, as you probably could tell, but I added something of my own into it. Let me know if you appreciate such variations or you simply prefer a straight AU story! Because trust me, the AU-ness is coming.
Thank you and keep reading! I'll keep posting! R&R!/