A Life's Worth

Leaving Everything Behind

"WHAT?!"

Eloriel stood before her keeper, fists clenched as if she had to fight her way out of the problem. The keeper became silent as Eloriel punched the side of the aravel. "Keeper, you can't do this!" Duncan stood up, shaking his head. "She has no choice," he said with a frown. "Neither do you."

"I do! I can stay! I will stay! I. Am. Staying!"

The keeper's eyes flashed with anger. She knocked over the stool she had been sitting on as she shot up. "You will go with Duncan!" Eloriel stepped back in shock. The keeper had never snapped like that before. But I won't give up!

"You can't order me around anymore!"

"You'll die if you don't!"

"I don't care!"

"Eloriel, as keeper I have the authority to send you away, don't make me do this." Eloriel then felt fury rage within her. Why is the keeper sending her away? Doesn't she know that she cannot leave behind her family again? I already lost Tamlen and some many others, I'm not losing anyone else! She walked up to the keeper, and looked her square in the eye. "I am not leaving."

The keeper's eyes lowered as she sighed. "Then I have no choice. Eloriel Mahariel, you are hereby banished from our clan." Time slowed down as Eloriel fell to the ground, only one hand keeping her up. A whirl of emotions created chaos in her mind. She couldn't think anymore. How could she? Her way of living, everything she knew and believed in had crumbled in a matter of seconds. Her life was not her own anymore. The keeper took the last of what she was.

Eloriel glared at Duncan as she stood up. "I hope you're happy!" she yelled, slapping him across the face with everything she had. "And I hope you die, shem!" She then turned to the keeper who stood still, looking at the floor. "Congratulations, you just lost your best hunter." Eloriel began to walk off, but spun around. "You were my keeper. This was my clan, my family! And what do you do? You shun me! Well, guess what? You're a murderer now."

Duncan looked at the keeper and just gave her a curt nod before leaving the aravel.

"Duncan," the keeper called out, stopping him.

"Yes, keeper?"

"Keep her safe. Keep her happy. Creators know that I haven't."

"The life of a Grey Warden-"

"Keep her happy then."

"It will be an honor, keeper."

▪️🌹▪️

"The keeper has banish you, Eloriel," Merrill told Eloriel. "So why are you here?"

Eloriel looked up to Merrill who she had been crying on. "But I don't wanna go!" She kept on wailing as Merrill petted her hair. "You are so messed up," Merrill whispered, continuing to pet her hair.

"Merrill?"

"Tamlen died and you already are back to normal. You were banished and still you are childish. Why would someone forget so quickly?" Eloriel gulped as Merrill stood up. "You really are heartless, Eloriel. They were right. Why did I ever befriend you?" Eloriel now stood in shock as Merrill glared at her. "I bet you don't even care about what happened to your previous clan, do you?" Eloriel's eyes fell as she turned to leave.

"Of course I don't."

▪️🌹▪️

The clan gathered as Eloriel meet up with Duncan at the hilltop. Everyone was silent as Eloriel waved once. Tears began to form in her eyes as she faced Duncan and solemnly nodded. She knew that this would be the last time she would see her clan, but she didn't bother to remember what they had looked like or who they were.

It's less painful this way, she reminded herself.

"It is time," Duncan informed her. Eloriel looked back to the crowd and stretched out her arm as if trying to reach what she was about to lose.

"I shall miss you all!"

And with that final farewell. Duncan took her hand and lead her away from her life.

▪️🌹▪️

"I am surprised you took it all so well," Duncan admitted to Eloriel as they made the fire for their camp.

"I'm surprised I didn't try to run back," Eloriel told him with a huff. The two fell silent as Eloriel tossed him two pheasants. While Duncan began plunking the feathers, she set up the tents he had brought prior to his arrival at the clan. The silence was almost driving Eloriel crazy. She had always hated silence, it was louder than any sound to her. She wanted to say something, anything, but she knew Duncan was a man of few words. Most of his responses along the way were short or just humphs.

Without coming up with anything else better to say, she decided to apologize for her actions in the aravel. "Duncan, I am...sorry. I shouldn't have struck you earlier." Duncan just shook his head in understanding. "I'm sure many would've done the same if in the same situation."  After that the silence reigned over once again.

▪️🌹▪️

For three more days, Duncan and Eloriel had set up camp with Eloriel hunting food and propping up tents and Duncan preparing and cooking dinner. "Duncan, you know, you'd make a very good cook," Eloriel observed as she finished her rabbit haunch. "Well I have done it many times during my travels," he replied with a smile. "But maybe next time you could-"

"Unless you want to die by bubbling tar-like food that reeks of death, I suggest you continue to cook," she said in a serious tone which made Duncan chuckle. "Then I shall."

"So, where are we going to anyways?" Eloriel asked as the stars started to appear in the darkening sky. Duncan put out the fire saying, "To Ostagar. That is nearby the place where he bulk of the darkspawn horde resides; the Korcari Wilds."

"Ostagar? Isn't that wayyyyy far south?"

"Do not worry, we are only a day's trip away."

"I wasn't really worrying though...." Eloriel sighed to herself. Between all the deafening silence and lack of knowledge of the matter, she was relieved to her that she would soon be able to actually understand what had happened throughout the past couple of days.  "Okay, maybe I was a bit anxious. But only a bit!" She heard Duncan's chuckle before heading into her freezing tent.

Creators, Fereldan has the shittiest weather ever.