Dragon Age Origins: The Tale of Solana

Chapter 10: A Friend

Solana explored the extended area before the camp, where Duncan's horses were being kept. She felt the serene peace of the Ostagar ruins wash over her. She felt free and independent; homesick and lost; magically out of place, yet at home. As she past one old column after another, under one broken arch after the next, she was left with the oddest mix of emotions. Some that conflicted, and others that crawled with such an overflow of excitement that Solana wondered why she never left the Alienage before.

She danced and ran and jumped and rolled through the green grass. Her cotton dress, which she still wore, slowly began to grow grass stains. The antique thread her mother once sowed in began to unravel and the edges began to tear, creeping slowly up her leg revealing her long, laced boots that were once her mothers. She didn't care. She shot up and quickly dashed over to where she saw ruins overhanging the valley below.

She was just about there when she collided with a hard surface. It sent her almost flying completely backward if not for a steady hand taking hold of her slim wrist. "Whoa there! Are you alright?"

A human soldier with tender brown eyes had ahold of her hand. She felt her cheeks flare up as she fumbled with words. "O-oh! I'm sorry, sir! I should have paid attention and I can be so clumsy. I—"

Solana eased off her ramble when the man held up his armored hand. "It's alright. You're the new Warden recruit, right?" The soldier noticed the quick flash of fear and joy from the inquiry. He saw how the elven woman's beautiful blue eyes held an intense fire. He gave a grin and chided himself for staring.

"I am," she said. Solana noticed the man's starring. She fidgets under his look before he also seemed to notice. She stole her hand back before she needed to defend herself.

"Well, all the more the merrier," the man said with a slight laugh. He crossed his arms and glanced towards the valley. "Today, two units of men arrived every hour, and they expect to double that tomorrow. Still, the teyrn worries that may not be enough."

Solana wondered about this teyrn. She cast the thought away and smiled when the soldier offered a spot next to him as he did his route.

They chatted about the ruins and the weather. They even went so far as to talk about family. "The Alienage may seem bad to most," Solana explained, "but it's really not that bad. It's got walls that protect us, and if you ignore the snobby humans, everyone actually doesn't look too down on us."

Kip, the soldier's name, nodded at this thoughtfully. "Interesting. My parents would never let me go to the Alienage, even though we lived right next to it. I even had a best friend named Karln who was an elf. He lived in the Alienage for a while before leaving for Redcliff. I told him I might meet him after this last battle to, you know, meet up for lunch with him and stay awhile."

"That sounds nice," Solana smiled. "He would like that I'm sure, Kip."

Kip was surprised by the pure smile Solana had. It nearly stunned him how completely radiant she appeared in the light of direct sunshine. He rubbed the back of his neck, a habit he had gained whenever he got nervous. "Hey, Solana... I was wondering—"

"What's over there," Solana butted in unknowingly. She put a hand to her mouth apologetically. "I'm so sorry. What were you about to say?"

"It's nothing," Kip laughed nervously. Now was not the time to ask her to lunch anyhow. She was about to become a Warden after all. He glanced in the direction of where Solana had pointed. The Tower of Ishal. A large, stone tower that overlooked the majority of the ruins. He believes they once used it to watch for Wilders coming out of the forest. "Oh, that's the Tower of Ishal."

Solana rolled the words over a few times. Somehow she felt like she knew the name, but was unsure where she had heard it. "Could we go look?"

Kip shook his head, his helmet clanking against his simple armor. "No, it's off-limits right now. The teryn's men are stationed inside to secure it right now for battle. I've heard they discovered some lower chambers, and they don't know how far down they go. So for now, everyone's to stay out."

"Lower chambers?" Solana shook her head trying to picture the large ruin with any of the sort. "Like, a cellar or something?"

Kip shrugged. He had gone inside himself to look around and didn't see any passages to a cellar that the teryns men proclaimed they found. "I didn't see anything like that when I was there, but who knows?"

Solana smirked up at the whole thing. It stood proud and strong. It was full of ancient gander, and the spectacle almost seemed to flaunt it. "This is a pretty large ruin."

Kip watched her with a soft smile. She was a curious one. "Goes back to the time of the Tevinter Imperium. Dwarven make. That's probably why it's still standing."

They set off again, in quiet thought. It was nice, Solana thought, to meet a human that wasn't so bad. Kip was kind, and open minded. She liked that about him. Suddenly the face of Nelaros flashed in her mind, and his demise. Her heart pricked with regret. She couldn't save him. She felt the band around her finger and for a moment, she felt sick at herself.

Kip had glanced over at the elf enough to notice her wedding band. He felt his heart tighten. He had almost asked her to lunch, and here she was a married woman. Foolish. His gaze fell to the ground and he became absorbed in it. They neared the bridge that lie before the king's camp just before the Korcari Wilds. Solana turned and looked up at Kip with her big, entrancing eyes. Kip felt his heart tighten even more.

"I should go, I think," Solana said in a down tone. She enjoyed her walk with her new friend, but Nelaros still haunted her mind and she needed air.

Kip didn't want to let her go. He wanted to keep their chat going, but he knew the Warden Duncan was expecting her. "Good luck, being a Grey Warden and all. Maybe..." Did he dare hope? "Maybe... We could meet up in Redcliffe after this one day. I can introduce you to Karln. He would love to meet you."

Solana smiled, sad but happy at Kip's offer. "That sounds grand. I would love to!"

If he couldn't have her, he could at least befriend her. He gave a sad smile of his own. He gave a respectful bow, "Maker watch over you, my lady."

Solana gave a small one of her own and began her trek across the bridge. Her thoughts were on the past, but her eyes looked towards the large camp. Something about the incident still haunted her. She knew what it was. It continued to eat at her, even now. It was guilt. Guilt over Shianni; guilt over Nelaros; guilt over the other girls and even Soris. Guilt was eating at her, regret slamming its' ugly fists at her heartstrings.

She shut away the thoughts for now. She needed something else, anything else, to occupy her thoughts. What was it Duncan needed her to do again? To find another Warden, was it? She would do that. Just do her job, and do it quickly.