~Ten~

The pair lay entangled in the soft grass, the sound of the river's slow stream brushing up against smooth boulders filling the quiet of the night.

Serana sighed contentedly at the way Solas looked down at her, his dark lavender eyes filled with warmth and affection. She traced the outline of his lips with the pad of her thumb, biting her own lip as she felt arousal welling up once more in her core.

Seeming a mindreader, Solas dipped his head down, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss that left her breathless and wanting more. She purred as his hand traveled down between her legs, his mouth covering hers hungrily.

His eyes dark with desire, he watched her as his dexterous fingers brought her to ecstasy. A low growl rumbled in his chest as her nails dug into his side.

His eyes shone in the darkness, and she gasped at the distant recognition of the glow in his eyes. Swallowing her gasp, Solas covered her mouth with his, his tongue caressing hers languidly. Gliding into her warmth, he felt beads of sweat beginning to pool down his back.

A strangled groan escaped his lips as her walls enveloped his girth tightly. Burying his face in her neck, he inhaled her sweet scent deeply, sucking and biting at her delicate skin. Her moans drove his desire to a feverous ache deep within him, his thrusts purposefully nurturing the fire raging inside both of them.

The stars in the sky seemed to erupt in a fiery blaze above them at the feel of his firm thighs rubbing against the swell of her bottom as he ground into her. She wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him in closer as she cried out in wanton abandon.

"Look at me, vhenan." His voice strained as the pace of his thrusts quickened.

She looked up at him through heavy lidded eyes, moaning into his mouth as he kissed her with an ardor that nearly brought her to tears. Grinding his teeth through the peak of his heated desire, a rumbling roar tore through him, taking them both by surprise.

Trying to catch his breath, he rolled on to his back, placing an arm under her head as she lay next to him.

At the sound of her smooth laughter, he smiled and arched an eyebrow, his eyes still closed.

She leaned up, bracing herself on her elbow, and studied his relaxed face with a smile of her own.

Running her fingers along his chest, she felt as if in a dream. She felt completely at ease and blissful. The world felt at peace, with no sense of urgency or impending doom. Kissing his lips gently, she felt a wave of calm wash over her.

He opened his eyes slowly, blinking at her through drowsy lids. "You are so beautiful." He cupped her face tenderly, admiring the way her hair fell in soft waves around her face.

She felt suddenly shy, his gaze penetrating her as though looking directly into her soul. She hid her face in his hand, closing her eyes with a sigh.

He sat up, bringing her with him. "You are unlike anyone I have met in thi- outside of the Fade."

Serana looked at him curiously. "Solas, when will you stop choosing your words so carefully around me?"

A sudden hint of fear gripped him, feeling exposed under her searching gaze. His expression calm and composed, he simply smiled, reaching forward and kissing the tip of her nose.

Serana giggled at the innocently loving gesture, reminding her of their first kiss.

"There is much I would like to tell you." He grabbed her hands in his, pressing a warm kiss into each one, before looking into her amber eyes solemnly. "But, in this moment, I simply wish to enjoy you."

"Hmm," she purred. "I like the sound of that," she said, kissing him tenderly.


In the hushed aftermath of their union, they found themselves bathed in the quiet glow of shared intimacy. The air held a delicate resonance, a mingling of emotions that lingered between them like a subtle melody. For Serana, there was a sense of awe, a realization that in the vulnerability of those intimate moments, she had unraveled layers of Solas she had never known.

Solas, feeling the weight of his burdensome memories and hidden vulnerabilities, felt exposed as they rested under the soft glow of the moon and starlit sky. A conflict of emotion and duty warred in his spirit. Feeling the weight of sleep pull at him in earnest, he let his thoughts drift into oblivion as he closed his eyes and embraced the Fade.

The sun had just begun to cast its warm glow over the forest floor as they stirred from their shared repose under the starlit sky. The air was thick with the residue of their shared laughter, whispers, and the tender moments that lingered in the secluded grove.

Serana stretched, her lithe form illuminated by the gentle morning light filtering through the trees. She shot a playful glance at Solas, who was also rising from the makeshift bed of leaves and grass.

"Good morning," she greeted with a radiant smile, her eyes dancing with affection.

Solas returned the smile, a warmth in his gaze that mirrored hers. He couldn't help but admire the way the morning light accentuated the contours of her face, her expression filled with contentment.

As they both reached for their scattered clothes, the air was charged with unspoken thoughts. Serana's eyes, filled with deep affection, lingered on him as he donned his attire. She marveled at the intricate patterns on his robes, the lines and symbols that whispered of arcane knowledge. Her smile deepened at the memory of the plain garb he wore when they first met. He could make anything seem magical, she thought, sighing quietly. Her heart swelled with a love that felt both new and yet tied to a bygone era, a connection unbound by the physical.

Solas, in turn, observed her with a mix of adoration and guilt. He felt the weight of his concealed truths pressing against his conscience, a knowledge that he had only shared a fragment of himself. The tenderness in her gaze fueled his longing to reveal everything, yet fear and the burden of what lay ahead for him held him back.

Once dressed, they stood facing each other, the air thick with the unspoken. Solas reached out, his hand cupping Serana's cheek, thumb brushing lightly over her skin. Their eyes locked, a silent exchange of emotions passing between them.

"I wish I could give you more," he whispered, the weight of his confession heavy in the morning air.

Although sensing the weight behind his words, she responded with a soft smile. "You've given me enough, more than I ever thought I'd have."

He smiled soft at her, a silent promise lingering in his gaze. His fingers traced the edge of her vallaslin, the inked pattern of the dahl'amythal, his touch both reassuring and tender. Leaning in, their lips met in a tender kiss, a merging of souls that spoke of shared moments and a connection that exceeded the limitations of their world.

Shoulders touching as they walked side by side, they made their way back to the camp, their steps synchronized in a quiet understanding. The journey ahead remained uncertain, but in that moment, under the canopy of trees, they found solace in each other's company, ready to face whatever lay ahead.


"Inquisitor," Josephine said, her voice carrying a mild tone of irritation. "I am afraid we have run into some complications."

"Go ahead, Josie," Serana said, inviting the woman to join her as she saddled her horse. Serana began packing the saddle bags with food for the short journey ahead.

Josephine sighed, "The Empress has sent word that she will not meet with us until the civil unrest is taken care of in the Exalted Plains."

Serana stopped short, her glare causing Josephine to wince. "What? Does she think so little of our time that she would wait until now to tell us? Surely, you jest."

"I am afraid not. Those who are not battle-ready," she said, smoothing the ruffles of her collar, "have been extended an invitation to stay at an inn within Halamshiral, but I am afraid she is very serious."

Serana groaned in frustration. "Why is it that we are somehow the ones responsible for quieting this unrest? We're here to save her life! Pfft. I'm willing to wager she wouldn't be so keen on brushing us off if she knew Corypheus was after her."

The ambassador laughed dryly. "Oh, I am sure she assumes her life is always in peril by unseen forces."

"Shit," Serana muttered, raking her fingers through her hair. "Well, I'll gather a few souls from our merry band and ride out immediately." She said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. Noticing the way Josephine was beginning to fidget, Serana said, "Josie, it's alright. You go to an inn with the rest of our people, and we'll send word once we look into this unrest." She placed a warm hand on the ambassador's shoulder, patting it reassuringly before turning and looking for her companions.


Under the ominous canopy of the Dales, the Inquisitor and her companions pressed forward through the dense foliage. Their journey from Halamshiral to the Exalted Plains, tasked with quelling the civil unrest, had proven treacherous. The air was thick with tension, and the shadows beneath the ancient trees seemed to harbor unseen threats.

As they rode, the distant echoes of dissent murmured through the rustling leaves. The Freemen of the Dales, a group notorious for their violent opposition to both Orlesian rule and the Inquisition, emerged from the shadows. Swiftly, chaos erupted.

The Freemen's ambush was ruthless. In the skirmish that ensued, Dorian found himself the unfortunate victim of a poisoned arrow. Serana, Blackwall, and Solas fought valiantly, but the odds were against them. As the clash of steel and the crackling of arcane energy filled the air, Dorian fell, unconscious and in dire need of aid.

A hooded rogue had Serana pinned, his dagger glinting menacingly.

"Serana needs help!" Solas's urgent cry cut through the chaos, a desperate plea to rally Blackwall to her side.

Just as Blackwall sprinted to intervene, a hail of fire rained from the tree line, felling Serana's assailant. The battle concluded, leaving a tense silence in its wake. Solas, still occupied with attending to Dorian's injuries, remained unaware of a figure emerging from the shadows. Sensing a rarity in the atmosphere, he looked up just in time to witness a bizarre reunion.

The mage's gaze, steady and leveled, bore the weight of secrets untold as he watched Felassan and Serana embrace. His eyes, once impassive, now carried a subtle undercurrent of uncertainty and dread. Confusion clouded his mind as he observed the familiarity between them, wondering how these two individuals from different corners of his life were connected.

For a fleeting moment, dread seized Solas. Fear rippled through him at the prospect of Felassan unveiling his hidden identity. Would this elf, once a trusted companion, expose the truth he so carefully guarded? The tendrils of anxiety snaked through him, only to be quickly set aside. Felassan, Solas knew, was not one to betray confidences.

However, a new emotion emerged, one he hadn't anticipated – jealousy. As the fellow mage held Serana at arm's length, playfully teasing her about her silver hair, Solas grappled with a sense of possessiveness that caught him off guard. What was their relationship? How did Serana know Felassan?

Serana's laughter echoed through the forest, and Solas couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. The familiarity between them, the camaraderie, stirred something within him. He observed the two elves reconnecting, and the unsettling realization of his own complicated emotions simmered beneath the surface.

The air crackled with unspoken history as Serana clung to Felassan, and Solas, his gaze locked with the dark-haired elf, felt the weight of ancient memories resurface. The echoes of a forgotten era reverberated through the forest, as companions long separated found themselves bound by the threads of fate once more.


The journey toward Scout Harding's camp was shrouded in an uncomfortable tension for Solas. Riding in silence, he kept a watchful eye on the newly reunited pair who rode together side by side at the front of their group. The dappled moonlight cast an ethereal glow on the forest path, but the atmosphere was far from serene.

Dorian, riding beside Solas, couldn't help but notice the tension. His arched eyebrow and amused smile conveyed both curiosity and amusement as he observed Solas' trained gaze on the pair in front of them. The Tevinter mage seemed to delight in his discomfort, silently reveling in the unfolding dynamics. At the rear of the group, Blackwall rode in solitude, perhaps sensing the awkward undercurrent between the trio ahead. Smart man, Dorian thought with a smirk.

As the horses trod on, Solas weighed the unspoken dynamics at play. He knew that a conversation with Felassan was inevitable, a discussion that needed to happen away from prying eyes and curious ears. With each passing moment, he felt the anticipation building – the need to unravel the mysteries of the reunion and address the unspoken tensions that hung in the air. The forest, usually a sanctuary of calm, seemed to echo with the unsaid, creating an unspoken prelude to the conversations that awaited under the shelter of night.


Before the Veil

Abelas stepped through the eluvian, the familiar sensation of transition washing over him. The protected forest, guarded by the very essence of his mistress, welcomed him. The air was charged with ancient magic, and the trees whispered secrets in the language of the ancients. His purpose was clear: to bring the girl to Felassan, their contact in this sacred enclave.

After ensuring her safe passage to Felassan, Abelas returned through another eluvian to the Temple of Mythal. The other sentinels awaited him, their expressions grave as they prepared for a ritual to close off the temple from the rest of the forest. They sought to protect their sacred grounds from the encroachment of the traitors who would desecrate the sanctity of their ancient refuge.

The ritual commenced, and the air crackled with energy as the magic of the ancients intertwined. Abelas felt the power coursing through him, resonating with the very essence of Mythal. The temple pulsed with a divine energy, responding to their collective will.

Yet, as the ritual reached its zenith, a sudden explosion of unimaginable force rocked the temple. The power they harnessed turned volatile, and a blinding light enveloped them. Abelas felt his consciousness slip away as he descended into uthenara, the deep sleep of the elves.

Several months before the Conclave

When he awoke, it was millennia later, and the echoes of the explosion still reverberated in his memories. He returned to the protected patch of forest, expecting the sanctity of the enclave to remain untouched. However, he was met with a surprising revelation – the girl was gone. This defied the very nature of the protective enchantments and the ritual that should have kept her in a state of suspended animation until his return.

Perplexed and troubled, Abelas wondered about the unintended consequences of Solas' spell. The blast that disrupted their ritual had unforeseen repercussions, and the mystery of Serana's disappearance cast a shadow over the once-sacred enclave. A sudden anger threatened to overtake him as he recalled Mythal's express wishes forbidding Fen'harel's spell. The sentinel couldn't shake the sense that something significant had transpired in his absence, and he resolved to unravel the mysteries that unfolded in the wake of Solas' fateful spell.

His brow furrowed with concern and confusion, he sought the Lady of the Forest – the wise and ancient entity whom Mythal held dear in her time. In the guise of a Dalish Keeper, the Lady met him in the heart of the enchanted forest, where the ancient trees whispered secrets and the air hummed with magic.

With an air of solemnity, the Lady greeted Abelas, her eyes carrying the weight of countless ages. "Abelas, sentinel of Mythal, I see the questions etched upon your spirit. Come, let us converse beneath the ancient boughs."

As they sat in the sacred grove, the Lady unraveled the tapestry of the lost years for Abelas. She spoke of the girl's awakening, two decades before the present moment, with no memory of her lineage or the grandeur of Arlathan. Asha'bellanar took the young elf under her wing. And in an effort to shield her from the haunting memories of her past life, marked the girl with vallaslin, weaving a protective spell within the intricate patterns.

"The vallaslin serves as a barrier," the Lady explained, her voice echoing in the forest. "It reinforces a mystical wall, preventing the flood of memories from her previous existence. It was a necessary measure to shield her fragile spirit from the burdens of a forgotten past."

Abelas listened intently, the revelation of his charge's journey resonating within the recesses of his immortal being. His thoughts shifted to Felassan, the elf mage who had shared their journey. The Lady's gaze held a knowing light as she began speaking of Felassan's mission. His purpose remained a mystery, concealed within the enigmatic currents of fate.

"Felassan walks a path known only to him," the Lady continued. "His journey is intertwined with the mysteries of the crossroads, a tapestry woven in threads of destiny. His purpose, veiled in the shadows of time, remains concealed from mortal and immortal alike."

As he absorbed the revelations, the weight of the intervening years pressed upon him. The sentinel pondered the implications of the girl's altered fate and Felassan's enigmatic quest, sensing that the threads of their destinies wove a narrative that transcended the boundaries of time and memory.

The Lady of the Forest, her words carrying the weight of both wisdom and mystery, fixed her gaze upon Abelas. "Begin your search in the town of Haven," she intoned, the name resonating with ancient significance. "There, threads of fate may weave the tapestry of your destiny anew."

With that cryptic guidance, the Lady began to undergo a transformation. The air shimmered with arcane energy as her form shifted and blurred, and in moments, she transformed into a majestic white wolf. The creature stood before Abelas, its golden eyes holding the same ancient knowledge that emanated from the Keeper.

The wolf, radiant in its otherworldly grace, spoke without words, its voice echoing in his mind. "May the winds of time carry you to the answers you seek, Sorrow, sentinel of Mythal."

As the white wolf padded away, disappearing into the depths of the enchanted forest, Abelas felt a sense of purpose and resolve settling within him. The journey ahead was uncertain, but his newfound revelations propelled him toward the town of Haven, where the threads of destiny awaited his touch.


A/N: A little more backstory this chapter. Also, the introduction of two of my favorite ancient elves, Abelas and Felassan. Felassan (slow arrow) is from the novel Dragon Age: The Masked Empire. I will not be keeping with the timeline of the novel, or really focusing on the events within so much as his relationship with Fen'harel, and now with Serana. These elves be demanding I insert them, so I did. :P