The stars shone brightly in the night sky. Sparkling and glimmering like crystals. Dancing together with the moon to watch over them all. The night was calm, peaceful.
The fire spun and shot out sparks of its life in front of Solas. The heat greeting his face every so often. His back rested against the cool cave wall, creating a comfortable balance. The day had been long. To no fault of her own, Elora did slow him down today. He would often have to stop and wait for her, or help her walk up a steep hill or climb over fallen trees. But, throughout the whole day, she had been quiet.
'The poor girl, she's been through so much,' he thought.
On the other end of the cave, she played in the dirt with a stick. As he promised her earlier that day, he took her to a lake and washed most of the dirt off of her. He had then offered her the bread he carried in his bag. Now, she seemed content.
He watched her play in the dirt, making sure no magical mishaps occurred. His eyes protested his will to stay awake. He was exhausted. Slowly, they closed.
"Solas! Solas!" Elora shook his arm until he woke. The fire still burned, and the world outside was still dark. He couldn't have slept too long.
"Yes? What is it?"
"When are you going to teach me?"
The question took him by surprise. The young one had been quiet all day. Why is she just now asking?
"Tomorrow," he answered.
"But I want to learn now!"
"You need to go to sleep. There will be plenty of time to teach you tomorrow," he said.
She began to whine, "But-"
"Da'len, you will need your energy for tomorrow. Get some sleep." He gave her a stern look. She took a step back and looked at her surroundings. She looked back at Solas with sad puppy-like eyes.
"What's the matter?"
"There's no where to sleep," she said.
"Ah, yes," How could he have forgotten to give her something to sleep on? He reached into his bag and pulled out a nicely folded wool blanket. He handed it to her. It seemed larger than it was in her arms.
Still, she did not seem happy with what he gave her.
"What?" He asked.
"Pillow..."
'I don't have any pillows,' he thought. Usually he would just use his bag as one. He glanced back at Elora who still stood there, waiting. He sighed and handed her his pack, "Here, use this. Now, please, go to sleep."
She smiled and carried the pack and blanket over to where she had been playing. She neatly spread out her blanket on the ground. Once she placed the bag down, she curled herself in the blanket, like that of a caterpillar in a cocoon. She rested her head on the pack and faced Solas.
"Thanks," she said before closing her eyes. He waited for her to fall asleep, which did not take long. He titled his head back so that it would rest against the wall. Again, he closed this eyes.
He allowed a small sigh to escape from his mouth. 'What have I got myself into?'
"You worry you cannot take care of her," a familiar voice echoed from behind. The fade shaped itself into a warm, vibrant forest. Solas faced the his wisdom spirit.
"I am not prepared to care for a child," he replied.
"Perhaps not, but she needs you," the spirit said. "She would have died were it not for you interference."
"I acted in a moment of weakness. It should not have happened."
"You would have left her to die?"
"No...I just...I've never cared for a child. She would be better off with someone who has more experience than me."
"With children? Yes. But, for teaching her to control her magical talents? You are the best candidate for that role."
"There are many mages in this world, surely one of them could teach her."
"If you want her to end up in a Circle of Magi, or back in a Dalish clan."
Solas shook his head. Neither of those options appealed to him.
"So it is settled then," the spirit said.
"I cannot take care of her for the rest of her life. It would only make matters more complicated."
"That, I have no doubt of. For now, take it one day at a time."
Solas sighed, "Very well."
That was then end of their discussion about Elora. For the rest of the night, they discussed other varying topics as they strolled through the fade forest. The spirit was a kind one, and was good at keeping Solas' mind from thinking of the past. Distraction was something he often needed now.
"The first thing you need to learn is how to control your magic, or else, random outbursts of fire will continue," Soals stood with his hands behind his back, as if he were the general of an army.
He had taken them to a small clearing, perfect for practicing magic. The trees were far enough away that she could not start a forest fire, and there was little to no grass beneath their feet.
Eyes wide, she payed attention to every single word he said. He crouched down to be at eye level with her.
"Here, take this," he handed her a nicely carved stick. He found it earlier that in morning before she woke.
"What is it?" She asked.
"It is a wand. You will use it as a focus, a way to channel your magic energy."
"Energy?"
"It's way to feel how much magical abilities you have. Do you know where magic is drawn from?"
"No..." She shook her head.
"Mages are able to draw their magic from the Fade. Do you know what the Fade is?"
"Oh! That's the place of dreams!"
"Yes, that is correct. Whenever you draw on the Fade for magic, you can attract spirits. Potentially dangerous ones. But, if you can learn to control you abilities, you can protect yourself from harmful spirits, as well as befriend other spirits who may wish to help you. You'll also put an end to your magical outbursts."
"So, how do I use the wand?"
"You already draw power from the Fade, you just need to direct it where you want it. Look at your wand, imagine little traces of fire traveling down your arms and up through it."
"Okay!" With both hands, she held her wand outward and stared at it intensely. Her brows furrowed, she began to bite her lip while trying to concentrate.
Solas placed his hand on the top of her head, "Stop. You are trying too hard."
She looked up at him, with disappointed eyes. For a moment, he thought she was about to cry. He smiled at her, "no need to be upset. Try again, relax. Feel the warmth of the fire travel to the wand. Don't think about it, just feel it."
She nodded at him and took in a deep breath. She returned her gaze back to the stick. The next few moments were silent as she concentrated. Just then, the tip of the stick burst into flames and flew directly at Solas' face. Instinctively, he put his hand between him and the flame, and caught it. He closed his fingers around the fireball and it was gone.
Elora's face went from shock to that of pure joy.
"I did it! I did it!" She jumped up and down full of excitement. "Did you see? Did you see? I did it!" She laughed and continued to jump.
Solas chuckled, "Yes, well done."
Then, expectantly, she wrapped her small arms around his neck, hugging him as tightly as she could.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She cried. He hesitated at first, but smiled and gave her a light pat on her back. 'Why am I happy about this?' He thought. Was he proud of her? Why is he sharing her excitement? He couldn't explain why he was happy for her, but he did not deny it either.
She pulled back and yelled, "Again! Again!"
He laughed, "Alright, do it again."
They stayed in that little clearing for hours.
Note: Sorry if things got a little bit technical there, I tried to avoid it but ya know...it happens. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed reading chapter 2! There's still more to come!