Hey everyone, I want to thank everyone that stuck with this story, and I deeply apologize for the delayed update. I am currently working on the next two chapters and will try to have them up soon! I hope you enjoy this story thus far!

"Do you think you can lure her out?" Leliana asked as they finished the final touches of the decorations in the Chantry.

Cassandra lips made a grim line before placing the small tray of frilly cakes down. "I'm not sure," she said sadly. "No one has seen much of her since our return."

They made it back to Haven two days ahead schedule and Cullen finally explained why they wanted them to return so early in the week. It was Eva's name day and her advisors wanted to throw her a party to show her that she meant a lot to them. It was a sweet idea, and once Cassandra spread the word to her other companions they were just as eager to jump on board with the party plans. But that was the thing, they couldn't have a party without the guest of honor, who had been held up in her cabin since their arrival to Haven. According to Solas, she had missed their evening talks every night since then and was only to come out when she was required to eat.

"I'm worried." Leliana commented, her slender arms folding over her chest as she looked to the others.

"I will admit," Cassandra said as her face fell into a saddened expression. The memory of her reaction still bothered her. "She was shaken up after the run in with the despair demon. Solas explained to me what happened, the emotional damage that occurred was serve."

A sudden tapping at the door pulled her from her thoughts, though she made no motion to get up from her bed. She was comfortable and had no desire to do anything today other than rest. That was her plan at least. Another knock sounded and Eva turned on her side, so she faced the door.

"Come in." She said gently. Solas greeted her sight as he stepped in and closed the door behind him, offering one of his rare warm smiles to her. She knew immediately it was out of sympathy and it made her stomach twist. She didn't want people to pity the situation. So, what if she was mentally scarred from a demon? It happens to people all the time and they go on with their lives. So, what if she missed her mother terribly? The sickening feeling of tears forming made her twitch uncomfortably, she didn't even notice Solas had approached her and was now kneeling in front of her bed.

"Hello," he said in a gentle tone.

"Hi." Her response was short, clipped. It didn't go unnoticed by him.

"How are you?" Eva nearly rolled her eyes at the question but refrained from doing so. She had too much respect for the other elf.

"Fine." She replied.

His smile slightly faltered as he inched closer to her, being mindful not to invade her personal boundaries. "Lethallan…" He began in a tone that Eva recognized immediately. She instantly held up her glowing hand and stopped Solas instantly from speaking further.

"Please," her voice broke slightly as the grieving feeling crept into her chest further. "I'll be okay. I just… Need to process what happened." She mumbled out, a low sigh escaping her as her eyes closed.

Solas nodded in understanding as he gingerly placed a hand over hers. Eva jumped slightly from the sudden contact as her eyes snapped open. Green met blue as he looked at her with compassion, and even though it was a small and insignificant gesture, Eva actually cracked a small smile in response.

"I do believe you need to eat dinner, yes?" She nodded at his question. "I am rather famished. Will you join me this evening?" She gave another nod and he offered another smile in response, albeit small. He lifted from his crouched position, moving out of her way so she could gather herself out of bed. He knew her routine by now as he approached the desk with her jacket. Grasping the article of clothing, he turned and helped her into her coat.

He opened the door, letting her go out first before he followed behind her. She led the way and he was perfectly content to trail behind her. In all honesty, he didn't think he would be able to coax her out of bed, let alone her cabin. She had turned him down several times this week thus far, and scarcely communicated with him and her other companions. He and the others were worried and conflicted with the matter. They didn't want to push her limits emotionally; in fear she would finally snap. Thankfully his plan went without a bang this evening.

"Where is everyone?" Eva's question brought him back to reality and he hummed in response.

"Perhaps they retired for the evening?" He said causally.

They approached the Chantry building and she waited for him. The doors were too large and heavy for her to push open herself, so usually they left them open for her to enter as she pleased. His hands set flat against the doors wood as he gave it a firm push. The doors slowly swung open and he stepped aside, allowing her to enter first.

"SURPRISE!" Cullen, Josephine, Leliana, Varric, Bull, and even Solas said with a shout. Well, Solas didn't shout, but the others did. Eva nearly jumped out of her skin as she stumbled backwards, pressing against Solas's body as he steadied her. He chuckled at her reaction, as did the others as they came swarming up to the tiny herald with warm smiles full of love and tenderness.

Eva stared wide eyed at them, her brain taking a moment to register what just transpired. "I-I don't know what to say." She finally said, shifting from shock to genuine happiness.

"You don't have to say anything, Dove!" Varric called out as he approached her, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed her into an air constricting hug. "Happy name day, Eva!" He said with a grin and Eva laughed, returning the hug before she pulled away.

"Yes," Josephine said while clasping her hands together. "You're transforming into such a beautiful young woman! Already ten years old!" She chimed before she too approached Eva. "Come in, come in!" She grasped her hand and tugged her along, leading her to a long table full of food and desserts. Eva's eyes flew wide open when she spotted the frilly cakes, then the presents at the other table.

"Are these all for me?" She asked aloud, slightly taken back by everything.

"Of course," Cullen stepped beside her before he too pressed her into a rather warm hug. His armor wasn't on, which was a rare occasion for everyone to see. Eva grinned up at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her from the ground. She may be ten, but she was still rather lanky and small for her size. He didn't mind, it just meant he could run around with her on his shoulders for a few more months. "We wanted to show you just how important you are to us." He said with a large grin.

"Can we eat now?" Bull asked as he took a seat at the large table.

"I second that. I'm starving." Varric chimed in as he took a seat next to the massive Qunari. Cassandra's grunt followed his statement.

"Yes, yes please." Josephine waved her arms around to direct them to their seats. Eva of course sat at the head of the table with Cullen on one side of her and Solas on the other. It was no secret that she favored the Commander and the Apostate elf, so Josephine thought it would be fitting to seat them next to her. Besides, without Solas, she wouldn't have come out of her room otherwise.

They spent an hour eating the delicious meal Josephine managed to get them. There were a variety of meats, cheeses, all finger foods which she was sure Bull was thankful for. She never saw the Qunari eat with silverware before. They wasted no time in diving into the desserts. Eva was the most excited and the only other person that could maybe match her excitement about the frilly small cakes was Solas. Though he didn't wear the obvious expression of excitement as she did, he did eagerly pluck the cakes off the tray and was quick to bite into them.

"These are so good." Eva groaned happily, snatching another cake from the tray. She wasn't sure how many they acquired, and she didn't care. She would eat them all if her stomach didn't burst.

"I'm glad you like them." Leliana said with a smile, she too partaking in the desserts. "I picked most of them out with Josephine. The best in Val Royeaux."

"Damn these are good." Bull commented as he too took another frilly cake.

"Language!" Both Josephine and Cassandra snapped at him as he smiled apologetically.

Eva laughed lightly as Cullen sighed, his face finding the palm of his hand but with a smirk on his lips. Eva finished the last of the cake, at least the last that she could physically eat without her stomach exploding as Josephine got up from her seat and made her way to the other table. It was obvious that Josephine coordinated the entire party even though it was Cullen's idea. Josephine organized the presents in the order that Eva would open first.

Josephine's gift was first, no surprise. Eva pulled the opened the box eagerly before freezing in place. Her eyes went wide for a brief second before she remembered she was being watched by everyone. "Oh wow," she said as she held up the delicate material in her hands. "What is this?"

Josephine gawked at her. "It's a dress, silly! Every young woman should have a dress for special occasions, and you have a few of them coming up!"

Eva shot a panicked look at Cullen who only shrugged at her in response, but she quickly regained her smile before nodding to Josephine. "I've never had a dress before, thank you! It's very soft!" The ambassador seemed content with her reaction to her gift from the wide grin she wore.

"Cullen's gift is next." Josephine said and handed her a small box. She eagerly took the tiny box and unwrapped it with great speed. Varric's lessons were clearly paying off.

"Oh my..." Eva said as she held up a necklace with a coin attached to it. She placed the coin in the palm of her hand to get a better look at it.

"It's my lucky coin," Cullen said as he turned his attention to her. His golden hues watching her stroke the coin gently with her finger. "I had this before I left for Templar training, even though we aren't allowed personal possessions. This is the only thing I brought; it was a gift from my brother. For luck."

"Oh, a rebel." Varric snorted into his drink as Bull elbowed him with a grin.

Cullen shot him a small glare before looking back at Eva who was now staring up at him with those large green hues of hers. "It can do you some good to have. Keep it safe for me?" He asked with a smile and she nodded with a grin before clasping the necklace around her neck.

Josephine distributed the remaining gifts for her, and Eva couldn't have been more thrilled. Leliana gifted her with her very own crow, which was all black save for a small patch along its chest which was white. Eva had her eye on that crow for a while. Bull gave her a new set of Qunari armor, regardless of the disapproval from Cassandra and Josephine. Eva understood why when she gave it a look over. It was rather reveling and hardly counted as armor. Cassandra gave her a wolf pelt that she could wear under or over her armor set to keep her warm from the harsh elements, along with leather wrappings for her legs. It didn't go unnoticed that she copied Solas's style with the leather wrappings and everyone thought it was rather endearing. Varric gave her a brand-new bow that he crafted personally himself. Its steel body was much better than the wooden one that the Inquisition bestowed upon her.

"And last but not least." Josephine said as she looked over to Solas who was quietly taking in the atmosphere as he sipped at his wine.

"Ah yes," he said while placing the glass down. "Please put this on to cover your eyes, Lethallan." Solas handed her a silk scarf as Eva shot him a confused look.

"Erm… Okay." She mumbled as she tied the scarf around her head, securing the fabric around her eyes. Solas stood from his seat and grasped at Eva's small frame. She didn't even seem startled as he lifted her up off the chair and into his arms.

"I'd rather you not walk blindly through Haven, but I also do not want to ruin the element of the surprise." He said as he began to make his way to the doors. Everyone stood and followed behind the two as small whispers emitted from behind them.

"Any idea what Chuckles has planned?" Varric said as he looked over to Cullen.

"Not a clue. He's a very private person with personal affairs." Which was true. Solas didn't inform the others what he got for Eva for her name day, he managed to get her gift tonight so that the others would remain just as clueless as her.

The wind nipped at her skin as they walked out into the quiet village of Haven. It was well past sundown and only the few occasional people were out at this hour, mostly the people that went to the tavern. Eva could hear the laughs coming from that direction as Solas carried her onwards. Solas exited the main doors of Haven and made a right turn.

"Well shit. Where did you find that?" Bull said as they came to a stop.

"Wow Chuckles." Varric said.

Solas could feel Eva fidget in his arms, her curiosity no doubt getting the best of her. "You may remove the blindfold, Lethallan." Solas murmured to her and she wasted no time tearing off the visual blocker.

Eva instantly stilled in his hold as her eyes grew to the size of moons. In the stable beside the blacksmith was a large, pure white Hart. It wasn't like the ones they had back at her clan, those were smaller in comparison to this one. This was the size could be comparable to a horse. This was something her people used to travel on, and she too had been on a few of them back when she was with her family.

"Wow…" Eva said breathlessly. Solas smirked a bit as he approached the large mount, it's brown gaze falling on the two of them but made no motion to react.

"He's all yours." Solas said as he stopped just in front of the wooden pen. Eva instantly reached her hand out towards the Hart, and it responded kindly to her as it nudged its large snout into the palm of her hand. Eva squeaked at the contact, her lips spreading into a wide grin.

"He's so beautiful!" She said as she began to pet its snout gently. Meanwhile, just behind the two Cassandra and Josephine were having a moment as they watched with their hands pressed into their mouths, as small sounds 'awww' emitted from them. "Where did you get him?!" Eva asked aloud, still taken by the animal before her.

"I have my methods," Solas answered carefully but offered a smile to her. Eva suddenly threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly

"I love him, Solas! Thank you." She said breathlessly, before turning her attention back to the mount who was still watching them with a thoughtful look, or Solas swore what looked like a thoughtful look. He set Eva down and she wasted no time in jumping the fence and petting the mount with careful hands.

"What the hell is that thing?" Bull asked again and Solas gazed over to the Qunari.

"A hart." He answered simply, as if it was an obvious thing to be known. "Something her clan had around often, based off her reaction to him."

"And where did you find one of these things?" Varric asked, watching Eva as she offered the mount a carrot that was plucked from the buckets they kept for the horses.

"They're around, you just need to know where to look." That was all Solas offered before he clasped his hands behind his back and turned on his heel. He casually made his way back to the inner walls of Haven, leaving the others behind. Eva was content. Eva was happy. His goal had been accomplished.

"Such a thoughtful gift." Josephine said to Cassandra as the Seeker nodded in response.

"Yes, especially since she isn't fond of horses. Maybe this will be easier for her to travel on."

"Do we have a name?" Cullen asked as he approached the wood fence, leaning on the structure.

Eva hummed for a moment as she looked over the Hart. His fur was as white as her hair, they practically matched. In fact, it reminded her of the story Solas told her of Fen'Harel's two sides. A black and white side, like two sides of a coin. "Fen'Harel. Just like the pure white wolf." Eva said aloud, giving the animal one last stroke on the snout before she hopped over the fence. "Fen fore short." She added.

They all looked at her, clearly confused on the matter as they weren't as informed on their elven history as Solas was, and he took it upon himself to tutor her in the matter. They all followed Eva back, helping her with her gifts as they brought them to her cabin. She made sure to hug each one of them before bidding them goodnight, but there was still Solas to thank. And as if on cue, he approached her cabin as the others began to depart and she smiled a cheeky grin at him.

"Does the Hart have a name?" He asked in his casual tone, just a small hint of curiosity that Eva could pick up.

"Fen'Harel. Fen for short." Eva responded with a grin and Solas's eyes widen slightly. She hadn't noticed his stunned reaction. He was quick to mask it.

"That is quite a curious name, why did you choose it?" He asked, his eyes narrowing just slightly. It wasn't like the Dalish to have any association with Fen'Harel, though he recently told her his versions of the tale of the Dread Wolf, his name has yet to be tarnished through the incorrect information the Dalish had on him.

"Well he reminded me of the white wolf, like in your tales." Eva smiled sweetly and again; he swore his face morphed to a dumbfounded expression though he obviously didn't let it slip.

"I'm sure he would think that honorable indeed." Solas responded with his own small smile. He was knocked backwards slightly as Eva collided into him, her arms wrapping around his waist as her face pressed into his stomach. A small 'oof' escaped him.

"Thank you for everything…" She mumbled softly, and Solas realized she wasn't just referring to the Hart. He leaned down to her height and allowed her to get a better grip on him as he too returned her warm embrace.

"You have a rare and marvelous spirit, Lethallan." Solas mumbled before pressing his lips to the crown of her head. She nodded even though she wasn't sure what he meant by the spirit part. "You should get some rest, it is late." He added before releasing her.

Eva released her hold on him before stepping back, the smile still lined on her lips. "Okay," she said. "Goodnight Solas and thank you again." With that she turned and went into her cabin, the door shutting gently behind her. Solas made his way to his own cabin to spend some much-needed time wandering the fade.