Sundermount, Dalish Camp.
The few days that came after, the winds changed. It brought many worries, more arguments, and abundant distrust. The Sabare clan was outing one of their own. One whom they thought they could trust. Their First. Their supposed First.
The Dalish clan that were once been in the woods of Ferelden had escaped the Blight, opting to travel far away from the fighting that was sure to spring up. Their first sign of the Blight was when two of their clan mates succumbed to blight sickness. From the very shards, Merrill was desperately seeking to clean and put back together.
Knitted brows of disappointment on each face of the older elves when Merrill would pass. Whisperings of her falling out with their Keeper.
"Keeper, she is on the mountain again with the newcomer. I have been having plaguing dreams. Something terrible is going to happen if they stay."
Keeper Marethari nodded and looked towards the mountain. "I will speak with them when they return."
Flemeth looked at the statue of the trapped demon. "Do well to keep my name from your whispers. Or I will see that you never speak again." Flemeth spoke to the once pleading demon.
"Yes."
"Now you will teach the girl ways to manipulate magic. Who I need will be here shortly and will help me keep my body." Flemeth stooped to pick up some fragments when Merrill returned to the maw. "Merrill! Are you ready to learn how to clean the shards?"
The pieces in her bag tightly gripped in her hands. Merrill looks at Itarelle with a wide smile and a nod of her raven head. She sat in the maw's dark and did as instructed.
Daily for hours at a time, Merrill sat, listened, doing as instructed by the trapped demon Audacity. And in those hours, the clan Sabare started to grow further agitated. They saw Merrill's hands were always bandaged, blood soaked, and her eyes tired. Behind her, that newcomer fawned over her savior. Leaning in Merril's ear, dagger-like glances at anyone who would approach.
While a small sense of guilt weighed in the back of Merrill's mind, the infinitesimal grew, gnawing. She was keeping secrets from her Keeper. Though it was for the betterment of the clan. She is the First.
A week had gone by when Keeper Marethari called Merril to fetch water with her, uncommon, as any of them could go, though the Keeper bid Itarelle to gather fruits on the opposite way from the two of them. She complied, heading out first, while Marethari and Merrill headed to the stream.
"Merrill, are you going to tell me what it is you have been doing?"
"Oh! It has been twisting that I could say nothing. I-I am learning ways to help our people. To be stronger. Itarelle has helped me!"
Marethari smiled kindly. "What is it you have found, Da'len?"
Merrill reached into her pouch and pulled from it a large shard piece, the one from the ruins Tamlen and his brother were found, and a second, smaller, that she had put together recently. "I need your help to clean it. I wish to put it together. Itarelle has taught me what she could from the books she's-"
Marethari's eyes looked sad. To say it disappointed her was beyond words when the elder elf withdrew her initial response. "Get rid of it. I will not help you."
"But Keeper…" Merrill started. A squeak when her hand snatched, and the bandage cut away.
"Blood magic." It was not a question. Marethari inquired with those two words. Seeing Merrill hang her head, then she releases the girl. Stowing her small curved blade, she collected water once again. Her heart sank. The girl she raised from the young age resorted to such forbidden things, she had no words. With a sigh, she spoke her order. "Itarelle is well enough to travel on, yes?"
Merrill looked at her hand. The warmth of her surrogate mother cooled. The healing cuts are still brilliant red. "She is… I will go with her when she leaves."
"You will not!"
The commanding sound of her Keeper's voice caused Merrill to jump. The girl's eyes were wet, her face scrunching. "Y-you won-n't help me. I am not doing this for me…"
Marethari looked across the creek in remembrance. "There was a time you did as I said." She sniffed, gathering the large wooden pails, hefting the long stick on her small shoulders, balancing the waters back to their aravails.
Merrill blinked, but saw nothing but a blur. "It is not for me…"
For a time, the girl and her sole friend retreated to the cliff side of the enormous mountain that they currently called home.
Merrill made up her mind. She and Itarelle will leave after the person in the Keeper's vision came. When they knew not. But far away from the clan until she can get them to see reason.
The Hanged Man, Kirkwall, Month 7 - Solis of Dragon.
When the Hawkes and the Swiftleafs assisted Aveline with the ambushes along several patrol paths, they found it had been the bandits at work. Further suspicions grew. Finding that it was her Captain, who allowed city secrets to fall into the Coterie hands, it opened, granting Aveline a high promotion, Guard Captain.
With it permissions to come and go from the city.
Years and months flittered. At least that was what it felt like to the twins of House Swiftleaf. The small surrounding hamlets and villages turned up with no one fitting Olett's description. No one saw the Elven girl the Wood elves sought. Even with the Hawkes' help, the girls would return to the city at night, losing hope with each passing day.
Lineatus had spent a considerable amount of time at the Estate, with the Swiftleafs spending time at the Hanged Man for relaxation.
One night in particular, Lineatus dreamed of flight, soaring through the clouds, over rivers, villages all familiar to him. A great black wave rose from behind him, blotting out the sun, chilling him with fright.
Words whispered in his mind, the pendant. He had been so focused on helping his saviors he nearly forgotten the item in his pocket.
Placing the amulet on the table, the twins looked at it questioningly.
"What is this?" Tenkou touched it and dropped it with a hiss. "Ow. It's like an icy fire." She rubbed her fingers.
Ruroni took her hand to look it over. There was a dark swirl of mist surrounding the piece the girls could see.
Lineatus had picked it up once more. "She gave me this as a debt to repay for our lives." The girls looked at it in Hawke's hands. "We should head towards the mountain. There is a Dalish clan that lives there. Maybe she is amongst them?"
"Just who gave it to you?" Ruroni asked.
Hawke looked at it and the name that left his lips causes two sets of eyes to widen. With softly placed smiles and nods, they explained in great detail the need to find their sister. Hawke listened intently. He was no mage, but if the amulet was indeed a cursed object, there should be a counter to said curse.
Norrathian magic works differently than those gifted with magic on Thedas.
"Uncle Learin could help, I'm sure." Tenkou chirped.
"If we could contact him, remember where we are, little sister. Heart said he has had trouble even communicating with Uncle Xell." Ruroni recalled.
"You're right." She sulked, scrunching her face as if she tasted something sour. They had no Cleric who could counter the dark magic. They did, however, have a Paladin.
"By the Goddess. Heart!" Tenkou rose from the long seat, grabbed Lineatus by the wrist, tugging the tall human from his place at the table.
Lineatus sloshing his drink, his lips seconds from touching, given no choice but to follow with Ruroni running behind, singing as they sped from Lowtown to their home where Okhor was certain to be.
Swiftleaf Estate, Hightown.
"Heart!" called the youngest of the Swiftleaf twins.
Okhor bellowed from the second floor. "Here sister. Is everything well?"
"You need to scry for Olett!"
His bare feet padded in the hall and down the steps in soft cotton pants. "Sister, what is your play?" The young man came down dressed as he had just stepped from the bath.
Lineatus marveled at the beautiful sight that was the young Lord, as well as the strength of the Lady Druid, has felt himself gliding along their floors when Tenkou excitedly shoved Hawke into her baby brother.
Okhor caught Lineatus, much to Lineatus' surprise, felt the muscular arms cradle him.
He was certain his face had gained color, even more so when he looked into Okhor's expecting eyes.
Looking down at Hawke, pleaded with his eyes for answers before looking back amongst his sisters, very confused. "Are you well? He… uh… Sister, what is going on?" Helping Hawke to stand upright.
Tenkou patted Lineatus on the shoulder. "Show him." She smiled, then ran into the other room.
Hawke shook his thoughts, cleared his throat, pulling from his pocket once more, opened his hand, the amulet once again being looked at by the twins and now Okhor incriminatingly.
"Yes, an adornment? What is the meaning?" Reaching to touch the silver metal.
"Do not touch it. It was given to him by Flemeth." Ruroni said, taking items from Tenkou's hands.
Okhor gripped the man's wrist, held Lineatus' hand gently pulling him to one of the Gnomish lights. "What?" Examination once more with discerning scrutiny.
"You will have to scry for her. If you cannot remove the curse upon it." Tenkou placed a cloth down on the table, a dagger and a map.
Ruroni came in with a bowl of water. "Reverse that sister."
Tenkou paused. "Right. Try to remove the curse. If you cannot. Scry." Then leading their human friend to the table to drop the amulet on the cloth.
"I have never scried for anyone before or removed a curse." Okhor whipped about, dodging out of the way as he was looking between his sisters who were buzzing about. Making him dizzy. Bumping into Hawke, apologizing.
"Yes, well, with all your training, I am certain you can do this." Ruroni patted his back. "You and she, like we, share the same blood."
Hawke felt the lingering touches of the fine Lord, watched as they scurried about the room, from disappearing into one room and coming back. He then felt underfoot. "Should I leave?"
"No!" The twins grabbed them and then sat them down at the table. "Tell him what you told us. From the start." They simultaneously spoke.
"I had already." Lineatus gulped. "I think…"
Tenkou told her brother in the shortest time ever, her Elven was weaving in Lineatus' mind like a spell. The girls gathered needed ointments from the second floor and left the two men sitting in wait at the table.
Okhor just grinned at the man and nodded. "You have come to us like a blessing." His voice was laced with much emotion. "If this indeed works, I will be forever in your debt."
If he could melt into a puddle from where he sat, he would surely liquify. Lineatus blushed, looking at the table.
