The Champion

            Mel led the way through the ruins scattered about the base of Sundermount, keeping a wary eye out (although Fen did a remarkable job of clearing the way) while listening with amusement to Varric as he continued to share tales of Hawke.  She found it a bit amazing how many he had although he hasn’t known the female rogue long.  She also found it amusing how he kept trying to collect information on her and her past by casually slipping in a question here and there.

            She glanced at the elf warrior.  Among the stories the dwarf shared about Marian, she also learned about the others including him.  Fenris.  A former slave of Tevinter.  Her eyes traced the markings on his skin, unable to believe that they were actually lyrium infused into him by his former master.  She had flinched when Varric had shared this and had earned herself a glare from said elf.  As she continued to stare, she found herself appreciating how the markings, strange as they were, sat on his skin.  How the pale lines ran down his tan, strong arms… and there he was glaring at her with those green eyes again.  She narrowed hers in return and focused back on leading them toward the Dalish camp.  Sure he was good looking, but too much of a stick in the mud for her taste.

            Fenris glared at the masked woman.  He didn’t trust her.  She may have helped them with the Tal- Vashoth and now led them to the Dalish, but she continued to wear the mask and hood, using that clever tongue of hers to dance around the dwarf’s questions.  He was impressed with her strength and fighting ability, not to mention her bond with the red lion.  And her sky blue eyes seemed shined brightly beneath that mask… He looked away.  He needed to remember the mask.  She kept herself hidden for a reason and he couldn’t let his guard down around her.  No matter how… appealing she was.

            They soon approached the entrance to the camp and Mel saw two hunters waiting for them, a male and female.  Fen waited with them, sitting to the left of the female.  Mel could see that he appeared irritated which wasn’t surprising considering who the male elf was.  Upon reaching them, the female elf smiled and said in greeting, “Savhalla Veni’vheraan.”

            Mel smiled in return and replied, “Savh Valyne.”  She dropped the smile as she faced the male elf.  “Savh Althon.”

            “Why have you brought more shems here?” he spat, earning himself a growl from the red lion.  He glanced at the great cat warily then glared at Marian.  “Your kind are not welcome among the Dalish.”

            Marian tilted her head, confused.  “Shems?”  She had heard the term before from elves in the city but never had the courage to ask them what it meant.  After all, they usually said it with a level of dislike.

            “The elven word for human,” Fenris answered.  He glared at the elf their guide had called Althon.  He didn’t like how he had spoken to the vigilante and could felt the familiar vibration as his markings began to glow.  Everyone glanced at him with caution.

            Althon gripped his sword tightly, hoping for a reason to use it.  “It means you are not one of the People.  And should leave.”

            “Wait,” said Anders.  He pointed at Mel.  “But you’re human?”

            Mel opened her mouth to give a sarcastic remark, but was interrupted by Althon.  “The Keeper permits her presence.”

            Mel crossed her arms.  “Much to his annoyance.”  Rage flared in Althon’s eyes.

            Marian held up her hands.  “Look, I’m not expecting tea or cakes.  I just need to see someone.”

            “There is nothing here for any shem,” Althon said, glaring at Mel as he spoke.  She stuck her tongue out at him and he spat a curse at her.  Fen stood up and his growl grew.

            “Melenas!” Valyne said loudly.  She narrowed her eyes at them both then scolded Althon in Elven.  She turned to Mel, who held up a hand and gave an apologetic smile.  She may only know a few words in Elven but she got the gist of what Valyne had said.  The female elf smiled and turned to face Marian, though she spoke to Althon, “This may very well be who Keeper Marethari has been waiting for.”

            How come I wasn’t told that Keeper Marethari was waiting for anyone? Mel thought.

            Surprise filled Althon’s eyes.  “A shemlen?  I thought you’d be an elf.”

            Mel rolled her eyes.  “Of course you did.”  Fen bumped her and she nudged him back.

            Valyne gestured into the camp.  “You may enter the camp, alin.  Veni’vheraan can show you the way.”  Marian smiled, nodded thanks, and Mel moved to lead them through the camp.

            “Etunas ish’ala!” Althon snapped.  He grinned when Mel froze and shot him a glare.  Perhaps today she’ll give him a reason.  His grin dropped and he took a step back when the red lion and the shems’ elf took one forward.

            Mel groaned, “Oh come on.  Just this once.”

            Valyne smiled while keeping a wary eye on Althon.  “You know the rules.”

            Mel glanced at the others, who were clearly and rightly confused.  “Yeah but -”

            “You don’t trust them yet you bring them into our camp?” Althon grew even more vicious and Fen’s growl grew even louder.

            She sighed.  “Fine.”  She reached up and took off her mask and pushed back her hood.  Shoulder length brown hair fell forward, now free of the hood’s confinement.  She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair.  She looked up and slowly dropped her hand when she saw Fenris staring at her as if he were in shock.  She couldn’t tear her gaze away.  The look in his eyes… no one’s just stared at her like that before.  Or if they have, they never made her feel like… she couldn’t quite label it.

            “Wait a minute.”  Varric’s voice broke her focus and she was able to look away from the elf.  “Haven’t I seen you in Lowtown before?”

            Mel narrowed her eyes at him and let out a frustrated breath.  Great, now she would have to avoid these people while in Kirkwall.  She should’ve just let them find their own way here.  “Just follow me,” she snapped, stuffing her mask into her pouch, and led them through the camp. 

She saw the Keeper standing by the fire in the middle of camp but when she looked around for her First, Merrill, she couldn’t find her.  Mel frowned.  When she first met the clan, she had noticed a tension between Merrill and the others, but it seemed to have gotten worse over the last few months.  But no one would talk to her about it, not even the quirky little mage she had come to call friend.  She understood and accepted that the Dalish would never tell her all their secrets but she was worried for her friend.  Something was wrong.

            “En’an’sal’en Keeper Marethari,” she greeted the elder elf.

            The mage looked up from the flames and smiled at seeing Mel.  “Tuelanen i’na Veni’vheraan,” she replied.  She turned her smile to the great beast that stood protectively at the human’s side.  “On’alamelan.”  Fen nodded his head in greeting.

            Marian stepped forward.  “Marethari?” she asked, and the Keeper turned to her.  “I was told to bring this to you.”  She reached into her pouch and drew out an amulet.  Mel watched curiously as the Keeper took a moment to examine it.

            “Andaran atish’an, travelers,” the Keeper finally said.  “I am indeed Keeper Marethari.  Let me look at you, child.”  Marian glanced at Mel as the Keeper looked her over carefully.  Mel hoped her smile was encouraging.  “There is truth in your face.  A rare thing for a human.”

            “Hey!” Mel objected.

            The Keeper smiled.  “I said rare, not nonexistent.  Tell me, how did this burden fall to you child?”  Mel moved to sit on one of the logs by the fire and Fen placed himself at her feet.  She listened as Marian shared the story about the witch that had helped them escape the Blight but became distracted as she remembered Morrigan and wondered how that particular witch was doing.  She wondered how they were all doing.  She smiled to herself, thinking about Alistair being King and how no doubt Rox had her hands full helping him.

            She snapped back out of her thoughts when she heard the Keeper say her name.  “Sorry, what?”  She thought she saw a smirk form on Fenris’s face but when she looked his expression was as serious as ever.  She stuck her tongue out at him all the same. 

She stood up as the Keeper repeated her request.  “You and On’alamelan will go with them?”  When she saw the confusion on Mel’s face she gave a disappointing sigh before repeating what she had told Marian about going to the top of Sundermount to perform the rite.  “Merrill will go with you but there are many dangers the closure you approach the sacred ground and she could benefit from your aid.”

Mel was tempted to say no, she would rather not.  She had already revealed her face to these people, she couldn’t afford to reveal more.  But then she glanced at Fenris and saw him glaring at the male mage, Anders, who was warming his hands with a magical ball of flame.  She saw the distrust and anger in his eyes and thought of Merrill.  Thinking harder, she whipped her gaze back to the elder elf as she realized the true meaning in her words.  The Keeper wanted her to protect Merrill.  From these people?  Why?  Both with a desire to protect her friend and curiosity as to why that would be necessary, Mel agreed to accompany them to the summit.

***

            Mel stared at her friend in shock as she hesitantly turned back to the group.  Her gaze fell to the elf’s bleeding hand before she used magic to heal it.  She had used forbidden magic.  She had used –

            “Blood magic!” angrily yelled Anders.  “Are you crazy!” 

            “Shit Merrill,” Mel said and the elf flinched.  Fen gave a warning growl and Mel saw Fenris draw his large blade, his markings glowing.  Instinct overpowered hesitation and brought her between the two elves, her bow drawn and aimed at him.  She stared into his pale green eyes and thought she detected a trace of fear before rage overcame everything.

            Blood magic.  If there’s one thing you can count on when it came to mages it was that they will always fall to temptation.  First the abomination, now this.  Fenris drew his blade with every intention of cutting the elf mage down.  Hang the rite, he didn’t owe some witch from Ferelden anything.  He frozen as the vigilante stepped between him and the mage, her weapon once again aimed at him and her back to the blood mage!  Fasta vass!  Was the woman insane?  “You stand with her?” he growled.  He was aware of the red lion growling to his right but he kept his eyes on her.

            Mel calmed herself, choosing to deal with the revelation later.  For now, she will protect her friend.  “Has she attacked you?” she asked, arching a brow.

            Fenris shook his head, confused by her actions.  “She used blood magic!”

            Mel noted the others standing by, waiting for an answer.  “Trust me,” she insisted.  “I don’t like this any more than you do but I’m not about to let you strike down my friend.”  She moved to the side a bit and shot a glare at Merrill.  “No matter how stupid her actions.”

            “I know what I’m doing,” Merrill stated irritably.  She look to Hawke and offered a small smile.  “The spirit helped us didn’t it?”

Marian didn’t return the smile and instead crossed her arms while angrily saying, “Call it what it is.  You summoned a demon.  And for Maker’s sake Fenris, lower your sword!”  Fenris looked at her in surprise, but when she only gestured for him to put it away, he did as she said.  Mel smirked at him as she too lower her weapon and he fought the urge to wipe it from her face.  Venhedis!  The woman was maddening.

            Merrill shook her head and tried to explain.  “Demons are just spirits.  Like Honor and Joy.”  Anders made a noise of disgust.  “It’s not their fault they are what they are.”

            Fenris snorted and said with sarcasm, “Ignore the lion.  Not its fault it’s going to eat you.  Sound advice.”  Mel chuckled when Fen nodded in agreement.  He would know.

            “Surely,” Bethany said softly, “there was a safer way to bring the barrier down.”

            Merrill liked her.  She wasn’t yelling or aiming a weapon.  “There wasn’t.”

            Mel gave her a knowing look.  “Did you look?”  Merrill shot her a glare and turned, walking onward.  Mel sighed.  I hurt her feelings.  I’ll need to apologize later.  After I figure out how to do that without retracting my feelings on blood magic because that is bad bad bad stuff.  After the others walked by, she followed, finding herself walking between Fenris and Fen.  She warily glanced at the elf and realized he was giving her a similar look.

            “Dangerous friends you keep,” he said.

            Mel stopped and brought him to a halt by gripping his arm.  “You say I ‘keep’ anyone again,” she smiled and said as sweetly as she could, “and I’ll shove an arrow up your ass.”  She quickly walked away, missing the smile he gave her as she did.

***

            Mel watched as the dragon flew off.  Flemeth.  The dragon was Flemeth.  The Witch of the Wilds.  Morrigan’s mother!  And Marian had been carrying her around in her freaking pocket!  She sat down on a large rock and ran a hand through her hair.  Maker, this was a lot to take in.

            “Hey kid, you okay?”  She looked up to see Varric looking at her with concern.

            She opened and closed her mouth without making a sound and waved a hand at the altar.  Finally, she managed, “I may be going insane.”

            He laughed, “If you are, you aren’t alone.”

            Mel looked at Marian.  “Do things like that happen to you all the time?”

            “Maker, I hope not,” she said.  “I’m not sure I can handle that much excitement on a daily basis.”

            “I second that,” said Bethany.

            Marian laughed, then said to Mel, “She indicated that you knew her daughter, Morrigan.”

            “Um, yeah.”  Mel did some quick thinking.  “I met her in Ferelden before I came here.”  That was safe.  That small bit of information didn’t reveal anything about who she was.

            Marian frowned at her.  That didn’t tell her anything!  She opened her mouth to ask more but her sister elbowed her and shook her head.  Marian sighed.  Fine. She’ll back off for now.  But her curiosity will need to be appeased at some point.  She looked at the elf mage.  “So, you’re coming with us?”

            Merrill starting talking nervously.  “Yes.  But only if you’re okay with it.  Or if you’re not I could just follow you into the city.  And maybe if you wouldn’t mind helping me find a place to stay.  Or not if that’s too much trouble.”

            Marian smiled.  She may be a blood mage, but she was adorable.  And she did seem to really want to help people.  “We’ll help you find a safe place to live.”  Fenris and Anders both made noises of disgust then glared at each other.

            They made their way back down the mount but Mel and Fen stopped walking just outside the Dalish camp.  Marian stopped too.  “Aren’t you coming?”  She raised a brow when she saw that the hood and the mask were back on.  And how upset this seemed to make Fenris.

            Mel smiled.  “Nope.  Got other things to do.  Bandits to beat up, slavers to kill.”  And she shouldn’t continue to hang out with these people.  It wasn’t safe.  For her or them.