since sheep was brave enough to post some of her writing, i thought i might share some DA fanfic i did a long ass time ago, that i will likely never touch again, nor do anything with (i had originally intended to post it on Fanfic.net or something).
it stays true to the Dalish Origin storyline, sort of exploring the beginning a bit more in depth, i used the same dialogue because i am anal like that. anywho, here it be, enjoy:
Lyna and Tamlen had always been inseparable. The dark cloud of tragedy hovered over Lyna, ever since her parents met with such a terrible end – an end that everyone in the Dalish camp refused to speak of – but Tamlen did not treat her like fragile glass, afraid to touch her, or talk to her, for fear that she would shatter into a thousand tiny shards.
They would sit in Ashalle’s aravel, legs crossed as they faced each other, singing songs that Hahren Paivel had taught them, or inventing stories in which they were the heroes, slaying shemlen and restoring the lost heritage of their people. The pair would venture off into whatever forest they had settled near, searching for small treasures that only a child could value – a shiny rock, a scrap of metal or an old bit of gnarled wood. When they grew older, and were fast approaching the time when they were no longer considered children in the eyes of the people, their friendship endured, growing stronger with each new day.
Lyna would sneak off from her duties to find Tamlen hunting in the forest, bearing a scolding from the Keeper for shirking her responsibilities to the clan, though such small mutinies were always met with knowing smiles from their elders, as it was plain to see that both Lyna and Tamlen were beginning to blossom into somewhat more than friends. Their courtship was slow but steady, as Tamlen seemed to understand that Lyna was not like the other girls in their clan, she did not have the same fragility of feelings or a longing for safety and an aravel full of children.
Tamlen had loved her for as long as he could remember; it was a feeling that seemed as if it had always been there, but the older that they grew the sentiment seemed to take on new meaning, though it hadn’t been entirely clear to him in the beginning. He worked hard to understand the ways of the hunter, and it did not take him long to proceed forward from an apprentice to a useful member of the clan, and therefor was considered a child no longer, but a man in his own right.
He watched Lyna closely, always mindful if she needed him for anything, ready to assist. But he was careful what he said around her, using a brusque attitude to mask his true feelings, though it never seemed to deter her any. Lyna remained at his side, often going with him into the forest when he hunted, her quiet presence beside him steadying his aim and quickening his arrows to their target. When the time came, Tamlen intended to ask Lyna to bond with him, and he was reasonably certain that she would agree.
Though, he did harbor some doubts.
Master Ilen had several promise rings carved out of sylvanwood that would be suitable, but Tamlen wasn’t brave enough to trade for one yet, although he did have the necessary means. Tamlen knew that once he obtained a promise ring and had it blessed by Keeper Marethari that everyone in the camp would know, and he would have to ask Lyna quickly before the rumors could get too out of hand. It was impossible to keep anything secret in their tight-knit community, so she would find out if he did not act promptly.
And he wasn’t ready to ask her yet; he had to be sure.
Lyna had her suspicions, though she kept her thoughts well concealed from her lifelong friend. Tamlen was like any other young male in their clan, effusive and eager to impress with acts of daring and boasts of pride. It was only in precious unguarded moments with him that Lyna could see the real Tamlen, the one he rarely let anyone find. In those instances she would see only the honorable man that he was, strong and clever, a skilled hunter who was ready to defend his people no matter the cost. He was vhenan'ara, her heart’s desire, but Lyna was distinctly uncomfortable letting it show.
Ashalle had done her best to raise Lyna after the death of her parents, and the entire clan had lent a hand in raising her, but Lyna still felt that she stood apart from the other girls. She watched them move about their daily tasks, so easy and secure in their own skin, holding onto the precepts of the Elvhen with a ferocity that had been bred into them through generations of Dalish wanderers. They knew their purpose with certainty; they never questioned their role within the clan.
But Lyna never felt at peace with herself. There had always been a part of her that felt eternally hallow, even when surrounded by her own people and with so much love.
It was harder for her with Tamlen, rather than batting her lashes at him coyly and giggling when he was trying to impress her with some idiotic act of bravery, Lyna felt embarrassed and awkward, unable to react like she had seen the other girls when a young hunter was doing everything in his power to provoke affection. Lyna could not talk of such things with Ashalle; it was too uncomfortable. So she blundered onward with Tamlen, wishing that things could be simple, like it had been when they were children.
Tamlen did not pressure her, being his usual over-confident self by baiting her with arrogant assertions and attempting to drag her into trouble, of which she was always eager, if it meant spending time in his easy company. They managed to land themselves into quite a bit of bother with the Keeper at one point, and Tamlen daringly put himself forward to lay all blame, absolving Lyna of any involvement. If Lyna had any doubts that he felt the same way about her as she did for him, they were gone in that moment.
So she decided that she was going to tell him how she felt, no matter how complex it might prove to be.
Lyna had been assigned the task of helping Master Ilen that afternoon, and had been running hither and yon for whatever supplies that the master craftsman might need, a trickle of sweat gathering in the small of her back as Lyna went back and forth between crates and chests of supplies. It was hard work, as everything tended to be in a Dalish camp, but Lyna was swift and dexterous, and she easily slipped through the aravels and the tall trees that hedged the perimeter of the encampment.
“Ma serannas, emm’asha,” Master Ilen told her as she handed him a precious piece of ironbark, turning his back from her as he bent to begin crafting a weapon from the treasured component.
Lyna cast a glance over her shoulder towards the center of the camp, where Tamlen sat conversing with Hahren Paivel, and judging by the look on her friend’s face, he was enduring one of the elder’s long winded lectures. She hid a smile as she went back to her work, dragging out a heavy crate of crafting materials and herbalist supplies.
When next she had the opportunity to seek out Tamlen again with a scanning of her amber eyes, Lyna could not see him, and her stomach flipped nauseatingly with disquiet. He had gone out into the forest to hunt, and he would be alone, which was a rare occurrence and an opportunity not to be squandered. Lyna had to seek him out of she were going to speak of her true feelings, and she had best do it quick, because she had seen Inana flirting with him the other day, and Tamlen hadn’t acted adverse to it. He wouldn’t wait forever, Lyna knew this.
Master Ilen asked her to fetch him something on the other side of the camp, so Lyna took her opportunity to seek out Tamlen, slipping away stealthily through the forest like a wood nymph. It did not take her long to catch Tamlen’s trail, though he was a master at concealing his passage, and only a skilled hunter would know how to retrace his steps. Luckily for her it was a skill which he had taught Lyna long ago.
But when she slipped through the trees silent as a wraith, catching sight of the back of Tamlen’s blond head, she did not expect to see three shemlen standing in the clearing before him, quaking in terror at the sight of his bow trained on them, an arrow notched and strung taught with skill. Lyna slid her own bow from her back, gripping the slender curvature in one hand while the other reached into the leather quiver at her shoulder and notched an arrow with quick proficiency.
As she stepped out into the light dappling through the trees, Tamlen’s focus slipped for only a moment as he watched from the corner of his eye as Lyna stalked to stand beside him, the string on her bow held nimbly with the arrow pointed straight at the heart of the nearest shem.
“Let us pass Dalish! You have no right!”
“No? We’ll just see about that,” Tamlen stated cockily at Lyna’s approach.
She eyed the human men indifferently, suspicious of their motives in the Brecilian forest. Shems boded ill when they made their presence known to the Dalish; it usually meant that they were going to cause trouble.
“You’re just in time, I found these humans lurking in the bushes. Bandits, no doubt,” Tamlen spoke evenly, his blue eyes narrowed with disgust as he beheld the shemlen with cold indifference.
“We aren’t bandits, I swear! Please don’t hurt us.”
“You shemlen are pathetic. It’s hard to believe you ever drove us from our homeland.”
“W-We’ve never done nothing to you Dalish! We didn’t even know this forest was yours.”
“This forest isn’t ours, fool!” Tamlen interjected vehemently, his disgust more than apparent. “You stumbled too close to our camp. You shems are like vermin, we can’t trust you not to make mischief.”
While it was true that the shemlen had all but destroyed their heritage and looked upon the Dalish with hatred and fear, Lyna did not blame them all for the downfall of her people. She was of the belief that if they held onto such long suffering anger, that the Dalish were no better than the shems in that regard. Lyna kept her bow strung taught, still mistrustful of the humans even as she tried to view them with a modicum of compassion. Keeper Marethari had taught them no less.
“What do you say, lethallan?” Tamlen asked her, jerking his chin towards the trembling humans indicatively, “What should we do with them?”
Lyna sighed heavily as she cast Tamlen a pleading look. “Give them a warning. Killing them will only bring trouble.”
“Letting them go might bring more of them. You are too soft.” Tamlen sounded exasperated with her, as he so often was when they argued on this point. It was one of the few things that they disagreed upon.
A red haired shem with plain features and dirty clothes spoke up immediately, his voice heavy with terror, “L–Look... we didn’t come here to be trouble, we just found a cave...”
“Yes! A cave,” a brown haired shem eagerly added, the distinct sound of desperation coating every syllable, “With ruins, like I've never seen. We thought there might be–”
“Treasure?” Tamlen cut him off, a dangerous edge coming to his tone imperceptibly. “So you’re more akin to the thieves than actual bandits?” Tamlen finished with a note of disgust.
Lyna scoffed, giving the humans a doubtful look. “We know this forest. There are caves but no ruins. You lie.”
“I–I have proof! Here… we found this just inside the entrance.” The shem handed over a carved stone into Tamlen’s hand, which he took and looked over in his palm, an expression of excitement coming over his features in the moments following.
“This stone has carvings. Is this elvish? Written elvish?”
“Th–There’s more in the ruins, we didn’t get very far in though,” one of the shem responded, anxiously wringing his hands.
“How do you know that’s elvish, Tamlen?” Lyna asked, peering into his hand interestedly, rather intrigued by the strange stone.
“I’ve seen something similar on the keeper’s scrolls… the ones she doesn’t want us to touch,” he responded to Lyna distractedly before turning his attention back to the shems, slipping the stone into a pouch at his belt and re-notching an arrow onto his bow to point menacingly at them.
“And this is all you found? Why didn’t you look for more?” Tamlen asked disbelievingly.
“There was a demon! It was huge, with black eyes! Thank the Maker we were able to out-run it!” The statement would have been utterly ridiculous if the humans didn’t look absolutely terrified. Lyna felt a frisson of unease swirl in her stomach at hear the word ‘demon’.
“A demon?” Tamlen jeered with a shake of his head, “Where is this cave?”
“Just off the west I think. There’s a cave in the rock-face, and a huge hole just inside.”
Tamlen deliberated for a moment before casting a glance in Lyna’s direction once more, a grim smile curving his generous mouth. “Well. Do you trust them? Should we let them go?”
“You’ve frightened them enough. They won’t bother us,” Lyna stated softly, giving Tamlen an encouraging nod when he hesitated, clearly not wishing to let them leave so that they could bring back more shemlen to drive them off.
But eventually reason won out, and he lowered his bow with a sneer of hatred. “Run along then, shems… and don’t come back until we Dalish have moved on.”
They ran off in a hurry, thanking the two elves profusely while they scrambled to be away from them and the forest, the sound of their harried retreat fading fast as Tamlen turned back to look at Lyna with a jocular expression, putting on a show of courageousness for her benefit. “Well, shall we see if there’s any truth to their story? These carvings make me curious.”
“I’m not sure,” Lyna said softly, stowing her bow behind her back once more, “I have a bad feeling about this ‘demon’.”
Tamlen laughed at her, inching his chin up to stare down at her arrogantly, no doubt trying to impress her with his bravery. “Skittish shems say it’s a demon and you believe them? They probably woke up a bear. Let’s see if these ruins actually exist. Then we’ll worry about what to do.”
Lyna had little choice but to follow after him, as it would be even less prudent to let him go in on his own. Should anything happen to Tamlen… Lyna didn’t think she would be able to forgive herself. So she walked along behind him as they ventured further into the forest, encountering the body of a dead halla being feasted upon by a pair of wolves.
It was too late to retrace their footsteps, as their scent had been carried downwind and the wolves turned, suddenly threatened by this danger to their meal. Tamlen and Lyna dispatched them cleanly, pausing for some time to skin them for their pelts before moving on.
The sun was beginning to sink lower over the horizon, casting deep shadows over the Brecilian forest as they moved along the barely used woodland path, finally coming to a place in the western side of the forest that neither of them had seen before. High above the cliffside there was an ancient tree jutting outward from the rocks, a sort of silent sentinel to the mysteries held in the forest’s ageless depths. Further in there were curving stone arches choked with blackened vines and a dozen leafy green trees growing out of the moss covered boulders and rocks creating a dappled canopy overhead.
As they approached Tamlen stopped just at the outer edge, casting Lyna an excited glance. “This must be the cave. I don’t recall seeing this before do you?”
“No, and I don’t think we should go in alone,” Lyna responded quickly, pulling Tamlen’s features into a look of heavy scorn in response.
“There’s nobody else here, and I’m not running back for help unless there’s something worth making a fuss over,” Tamlen snapped heedlessly, always so quick to lash out when he felt his authority was threatened. Lyna looked slightly stricken at the outburst, and Tamlen continued on apologetically, his features gone soft as he regarded her.
“Come on let’s at least see what’s there. How dangerous could it be?”
Reluctantly Lyna followed him as he climbed down into the blackened hole in the earth, dropping down the incline with a shower of dirt and rocks beneath his leather boots as he slid. Tamlen looked back up towards her from where she stood outside the cave, raising his arms upward so that he could help her down, the touch of his sun-bronzed hands gentle as he guided her down into the dank interior of the cave. As their eyes adjusted to the gloom they took in the bluish haze of light filtering through the maw of the hole, giant roots from the old trees above twisting inward towards a patch of broken stone tile and stacks of old, ancient brick. The wall looked broken, held up by sagging wooden supports.
“It… looks like the shem was telling the truth. These ruins look more human than elven,” Tamlen whispered in awe, moving forward ahead of her beneath the break in the wall, glancing around to make sure there was no immediate threat.
Lyna followed close behind, glancing upward at the ceiling where a large spider sac hung, its veiny texture slightly dusty as if it had been empty of eggs for quite some time. That did not mean that there weren’t more corrupt spiders further in, and Lyna kept a watchful eye as together she and Tamlen pressed forth into a dimly lit chamber congested with gnarled roots and broken tiles.
As they crossed over the threshold of an intricately carved door, carefully stepping across any roots jutting up from between the stone flooring, Tamlen turned to her with a nervous darting of his light blue eyes.
“This place makes me nervous,” he confessed in a rush, displaying a rare moment of vulnerability that took Lyna slightly aback. He was usually so overconfident to make himself appear strong and brave that such an admission was somewhat out of character.
Judging by the sinister feel in the air, Lyna could sympathize with such a statement; she could feel it too. The very atmosphere around them seemed to be charged with silence and unfamiliarity, like it were harboring age-old secrets.
“So talk, if that will calm you down.” Lyna’s voice was low and comforting as she spoke, encouraging him to open up to her and name his fears. She found no shame in it, but if she knew Tamlen, he would no doubt consider it a weakness and never acknowledge it.
“I suppose so… hey, weren’t you supposed to be assisting Master Ilen today? How did you end up coming with me?” Tamlen asked suddenly, his golden brows drawing downward with curiosity.
“I wanted to be with you, of course,” Lyna stated boldly, meeting his gaze evenly and without shame, finally admitting at least in some small way what she felt towards him.
“I… thought that might be the case. I’m glad.” Their eyes met and held for the barest of moments, neither one of them daring to move in fear of frightening the other. Finally Tamlen broke free of her gaze, nervously stammering and turning his regard elsewhere.
“L-Let’s find whatever is here and get out. We can talk later.”
it stays true to the Dalish Origin storyline, sort of exploring the beginning a bit more in depth, i used the same dialogue because i am anal like that. anywho, here it be, enjoy:
- ORIGINS -
Lyna and Tamlen had always been inseparable. The dark cloud of tragedy hovered over Lyna, ever since her parents met with such a terrible end – an end that everyone in the Dalish camp refused to speak of – but Tamlen did not treat her like fragile glass, afraid to touch her, or talk to her, for fear that she would shatter into a thousand tiny shards.
They would sit in Ashalle’s aravel, legs crossed as they faced each other, singing songs that Hahren Paivel had taught them, or inventing stories in which they were the heroes, slaying shemlen and restoring the lost heritage of their people. The pair would venture off into whatever forest they had settled near, searching for small treasures that only a child could value – a shiny rock, a scrap of metal or an old bit of gnarled wood. When they grew older, and were fast approaching the time when they were no longer considered children in the eyes of the people, their friendship endured, growing stronger with each new day.
Lyna would sneak off from her duties to find Tamlen hunting in the forest, bearing a scolding from the Keeper for shirking her responsibilities to the clan, though such small mutinies were always met with knowing smiles from their elders, as it was plain to see that both Lyna and Tamlen were beginning to blossom into somewhat more than friends. Their courtship was slow but steady, as Tamlen seemed to understand that Lyna was not like the other girls in their clan, she did not have the same fragility of feelings or a longing for safety and an aravel full of children.
Tamlen had loved her for as long as he could remember; it was a feeling that seemed as if it had always been there, but the older that they grew the sentiment seemed to take on new meaning, though it hadn’t been entirely clear to him in the beginning. He worked hard to understand the ways of the hunter, and it did not take him long to proceed forward from an apprentice to a useful member of the clan, and therefor was considered a child no longer, but a man in his own right.
He watched Lyna closely, always mindful if she needed him for anything, ready to assist. But he was careful what he said around her, using a brusque attitude to mask his true feelings, though it never seemed to deter her any. Lyna remained at his side, often going with him into the forest when he hunted, her quiet presence beside him steadying his aim and quickening his arrows to their target. When the time came, Tamlen intended to ask Lyna to bond with him, and he was reasonably certain that she would agree.
Though, he did harbor some doubts.
Master Ilen had several promise rings carved out of sylvanwood that would be suitable, but Tamlen wasn’t brave enough to trade for one yet, although he did have the necessary means. Tamlen knew that once he obtained a promise ring and had it blessed by Keeper Marethari that everyone in the camp would know, and he would have to ask Lyna quickly before the rumors could get too out of hand. It was impossible to keep anything secret in their tight-knit community, so she would find out if he did not act promptly.
And he wasn’t ready to ask her yet; he had to be sure.
Lyna had her suspicions, though she kept her thoughts well concealed from her lifelong friend. Tamlen was like any other young male in their clan, effusive and eager to impress with acts of daring and boasts of pride. It was only in precious unguarded moments with him that Lyna could see the real Tamlen, the one he rarely let anyone find. In those instances she would see only the honorable man that he was, strong and clever, a skilled hunter who was ready to defend his people no matter the cost. He was vhenan'ara, her heart’s desire, but Lyna was distinctly uncomfortable letting it show.
Ashalle had done her best to raise Lyna after the death of her parents, and the entire clan had lent a hand in raising her, but Lyna still felt that she stood apart from the other girls. She watched them move about their daily tasks, so easy and secure in their own skin, holding onto the precepts of the Elvhen with a ferocity that had been bred into them through generations of Dalish wanderers. They knew their purpose with certainty; they never questioned their role within the clan.
But Lyna never felt at peace with herself. There had always been a part of her that felt eternally hallow, even when surrounded by her own people and with so much love.
It was harder for her with Tamlen, rather than batting her lashes at him coyly and giggling when he was trying to impress her with some idiotic act of bravery, Lyna felt embarrassed and awkward, unable to react like she had seen the other girls when a young hunter was doing everything in his power to provoke affection. Lyna could not talk of such things with Ashalle; it was too uncomfortable. So she blundered onward with Tamlen, wishing that things could be simple, like it had been when they were children.
Tamlen did not pressure her, being his usual over-confident self by baiting her with arrogant assertions and attempting to drag her into trouble, of which she was always eager, if it meant spending time in his easy company. They managed to land themselves into quite a bit of bother with the Keeper at one point, and Tamlen daringly put himself forward to lay all blame, absolving Lyna of any involvement. If Lyna had any doubts that he felt the same way about her as she did for him, they were gone in that moment.
So she decided that she was going to tell him how she felt, no matter how complex it might prove to be.
Lyna had been assigned the task of helping Master Ilen that afternoon, and had been running hither and yon for whatever supplies that the master craftsman might need, a trickle of sweat gathering in the small of her back as Lyna went back and forth between crates and chests of supplies. It was hard work, as everything tended to be in a Dalish camp, but Lyna was swift and dexterous, and she easily slipped through the aravels and the tall trees that hedged the perimeter of the encampment.
“Ma serannas, emm’asha,” Master Ilen told her as she handed him a precious piece of ironbark, turning his back from her as he bent to begin crafting a weapon from the treasured component.
Lyna cast a glance over her shoulder towards the center of the camp, where Tamlen sat conversing with Hahren Paivel, and judging by the look on her friend’s face, he was enduring one of the elder’s long winded lectures. She hid a smile as she went back to her work, dragging out a heavy crate of crafting materials and herbalist supplies.
When next she had the opportunity to seek out Tamlen again with a scanning of her amber eyes, Lyna could not see him, and her stomach flipped nauseatingly with disquiet. He had gone out into the forest to hunt, and he would be alone, which was a rare occurrence and an opportunity not to be squandered. Lyna had to seek him out of she were going to speak of her true feelings, and she had best do it quick, because she had seen Inana flirting with him the other day, and Tamlen hadn’t acted adverse to it. He wouldn’t wait forever, Lyna knew this.
Master Ilen asked her to fetch him something on the other side of the camp, so Lyna took her opportunity to seek out Tamlen, slipping away stealthily through the forest like a wood nymph. It did not take her long to catch Tamlen’s trail, though he was a master at concealing his passage, and only a skilled hunter would know how to retrace his steps. Luckily for her it was a skill which he had taught Lyna long ago.
But when she slipped through the trees silent as a wraith, catching sight of the back of Tamlen’s blond head, she did not expect to see three shemlen standing in the clearing before him, quaking in terror at the sight of his bow trained on them, an arrow notched and strung taught with skill. Lyna slid her own bow from her back, gripping the slender curvature in one hand while the other reached into the leather quiver at her shoulder and notched an arrow with quick proficiency.
As she stepped out into the light dappling through the trees, Tamlen’s focus slipped for only a moment as he watched from the corner of his eye as Lyna stalked to stand beside him, the string on her bow held nimbly with the arrow pointed straight at the heart of the nearest shem.
“Let us pass Dalish! You have no right!”
“No? We’ll just see about that,” Tamlen stated cockily at Lyna’s approach.
She eyed the human men indifferently, suspicious of their motives in the Brecilian forest. Shems boded ill when they made their presence known to the Dalish; it usually meant that they were going to cause trouble.
“You’re just in time, I found these humans lurking in the bushes. Bandits, no doubt,” Tamlen spoke evenly, his blue eyes narrowed with disgust as he beheld the shemlen with cold indifference.
“We aren’t bandits, I swear! Please don’t hurt us.”
“You shemlen are pathetic. It’s hard to believe you ever drove us from our homeland.”
“W-We’ve never done nothing to you Dalish! We didn’t even know this forest was yours.”
“This forest isn’t ours, fool!” Tamlen interjected vehemently, his disgust more than apparent. “You stumbled too close to our camp. You shems are like vermin, we can’t trust you not to make mischief.”
While it was true that the shemlen had all but destroyed their heritage and looked upon the Dalish with hatred and fear, Lyna did not blame them all for the downfall of her people. She was of the belief that if they held onto such long suffering anger, that the Dalish were no better than the shems in that regard. Lyna kept her bow strung taught, still mistrustful of the humans even as she tried to view them with a modicum of compassion. Keeper Marethari had taught them no less.
“What do you say, lethallan?” Tamlen asked her, jerking his chin towards the trembling humans indicatively, “What should we do with them?”
Lyna sighed heavily as she cast Tamlen a pleading look. “Give them a warning. Killing them will only bring trouble.”
“Letting them go might bring more of them. You are too soft.” Tamlen sounded exasperated with her, as he so often was when they argued on this point. It was one of the few things that they disagreed upon.
A red haired shem with plain features and dirty clothes spoke up immediately, his voice heavy with terror, “L–Look... we didn’t come here to be trouble, we just found a cave...”
“Yes! A cave,” a brown haired shem eagerly added, the distinct sound of desperation coating every syllable, “With ruins, like I've never seen. We thought there might be–”
“Treasure?” Tamlen cut him off, a dangerous edge coming to his tone imperceptibly. “So you’re more akin to the thieves than actual bandits?” Tamlen finished with a note of disgust.
Lyna scoffed, giving the humans a doubtful look. “We know this forest. There are caves but no ruins. You lie.”
“I–I have proof! Here… we found this just inside the entrance.” The shem handed over a carved stone into Tamlen’s hand, which he took and looked over in his palm, an expression of excitement coming over his features in the moments following.
“This stone has carvings. Is this elvish? Written elvish?”
“Th–There’s more in the ruins, we didn’t get very far in though,” one of the shem responded, anxiously wringing his hands.
“How do you know that’s elvish, Tamlen?” Lyna asked, peering into his hand interestedly, rather intrigued by the strange stone.
“I’ve seen something similar on the keeper’s scrolls… the ones she doesn’t want us to touch,” he responded to Lyna distractedly before turning his attention back to the shems, slipping the stone into a pouch at his belt and re-notching an arrow onto his bow to point menacingly at them.
“And this is all you found? Why didn’t you look for more?” Tamlen asked disbelievingly.
“There was a demon! It was huge, with black eyes! Thank the Maker we were able to out-run it!” The statement would have been utterly ridiculous if the humans didn’t look absolutely terrified. Lyna felt a frisson of unease swirl in her stomach at hear the word ‘demon’.
“A demon?” Tamlen jeered with a shake of his head, “Where is this cave?”
“Just off the west I think. There’s a cave in the rock-face, and a huge hole just inside.”
Tamlen deliberated for a moment before casting a glance in Lyna’s direction once more, a grim smile curving his generous mouth. “Well. Do you trust them? Should we let them go?”
“You’ve frightened them enough. They won’t bother us,” Lyna stated softly, giving Tamlen an encouraging nod when he hesitated, clearly not wishing to let them leave so that they could bring back more shemlen to drive them off.
But eventually reason won out, and he lowered his bow with a sneer of hatred. “Run along then, shems… and don’t come back until we Dalish have moved on.”
They ran off in a hurry, thanking the two elves profusely while they scrambled to be away from them and the forest, the sound of their harried retreat fading fast as Tamlen turned back to look at Lyna with a jocular expression, putting on a show of courageousness for her benefit. “Well, shall we see if there’s any truth to their story? These carvings make me curious.”
“I’m not sure,” Lyna said softly, stowing her bow behind her back once more, “I have a bad feeling about this ‘demon’.”
Tamlen laughed at her, inching his chin up to stare down at her arrogantly, no doubt trying to impress her with his bravery. “Skittish shems say it’s a demon and you believe them? They probably woke up a bear. Let’s see if these ruins actually exist. Then we’ll worry about what to do.”
Lyna had little choice but to follow after him, as it would be even less prudent to let him go in on his own. Should anything happen to Tamlen… Lyna didn’t think she would be able to forgive herself. So she walked along behind him as they ventured further into the forest, encountering the body of a dead halla being feasted upon by a pair of wolves.
It was too late to retrace their footsteps, as their scent had been carried downwind and the wolves turned, suddenly threatened by this danger to their meal. Tamlen and Lyna dispatched them cleanly, pausing for some time to skin them for their pelts before moving on.
The sun was beginning to sink lower over the horizon, casting deep shadows over the Brecilian forest as they moved along the barely used woodland path, finally coming to a place in the western side of the forest that neither of them had seen before. High above the cliffside there was an ancient tree jutting outward from the rocks, a sort of silent sentinel to the mysteries held in the forest’s ageless depths. Further in there were curving stone arches choked with blackened vines and a dozen leafy green trees growing out of the moss covered boulders and rocks creating a dappled canopy overhead.
As they approached Tamlen stopped just at the outer edge, casting Lyna an excited glance. “This must be the cave. I don’t recall seeing this before do you?”
“No, and I don’t think we should go in alone,” Lyna responded quickly, pulling Tamlen’s features into a look of heavy scorn in response.
“There’s nobody else here, and I’m not running back for help unless there’s something worth making a fuss over,” Tamlen snapped heedlessly, always so quick to lash out when he felt his authority was threatened. Lyna looked slightly stricken at the outburst, and Tamlen continued on apologetically, his features gone soft as he regarded her.
“Come on let’s at least see what’s there. How dangerous could it be?”
Reluctantly Lyna followed him as he climbed down into the blackened hole in the earth, dropping down the incline with a shower of dirt and rocks beneath his leather boots as he slid. Tamlen looked back up towards her from where she stood outside the cave, raising his arms upward so that he could help her down, the touch of his sun-bronzed hands gentle as he guided her down into the dank interior of the cave. As their eyes adjusted to the gloom they took in the bluish haze of light filtering through the maw of the hole, giant roots from the old trees above twisting inward towards a patch of broken stone tile and stacks of old, ancient brick. The wall looked broken, held up by sagging wooden supports.
“It… looks like the shem was telling the truth. These ruins look more human than elven,” Tamlen whispered in awe, moving forward ahead of her beneath the break in the wall, glancing around to make sure there was no immediate threat.
Lyna followed close behind, glancing upward at the ceiling where a large spider sac hung, its veiny texture slightly dusty as if it had been empty of eggs for quite some time. That did not mean that there weren’t more corrupt spiders further in, and Lyna kept a watchful eye as together she and Tamlen pressed forth into a dimly lit chamber congested with gnarled roots and broken tiles.
As they crossed over the threshold of an intricately carved door, carefully stepping across any roots jutting up from between the stone flooring, Tamlen turned to her with a nervous darting of his light blue eyes.
“This place makes me nervous,” he confessed in a rush, displaying a rare moment of vulnerability that took Lyna slightly aback. He was usually so overconfident to make himself appear strong and brave that such an admission was somewhat out of character.
Judging by the sinister feel in the air, Lyna could sympathize with such a statement; she could feel it too. The very atmosphere around them seemed to be charged with silence and unfamiliarity, like it were harboring age-old secrets.
“So talk, if that will calm you down.” Lyna’s voice was low and comforting as she spoke, encouraging him to open up to her and name his fears. She found no shame in it, but if she knew Tamlen, he would no doubt consider it a weakness and never acknowledge it.
“I suppose so… hey, weren’t you supposed to be assisting Master Ilen today? How did you end up coming with me?” Tamlen asked suddenly, his golden brows drawing downward with curiosity.
“I wanted to be with you, of course,” Lyna stated boldly, meeting his gaze evenly and without shame, finally admitting at least in some small way what she felt towards him.
“I… thought that might be the case. I’m glad.” Their eyes met and held for the barest of moments, neither one of them daring to move in fear of frightening the other. Finally Tamlen broke free of her gaze, nervously stammering and turning his regard elsewhere.
“L-Let’s find whatever is here and get out. We can talk later.”
