Lavellen's Tale

A Hero's Beginnings

My eyes fluttered and several murmuring voices reached my ears. Eyes opening and vision focusing, the concerned faces of my friends came into view. 

"Thank the creators!," Shereen exclaimed while peering over the edge of her bunk to mine below, "I thought they'd killed you!" The tips of her pointed ears twitched, revealing just how worried she had been. I groaned and sat up, clutching my head as a pounding headache emerged. 

"Unfortunately for you lot, I'm hard to kill." 

"So we're stuck with you then?" Erik chuckled as he and Jowen each grabbed one of my arms to help steady me as I got up. I smirked and shrugged.

"Except now I can boss you around." The others mockingly saluted before a flurry of giggles took us all. Rounds of harrowing-related questions, all of which I dodged, filled the next few minutes before Jowen exclaimed in remembrance.

"The First Enchanter wanted to see you as soon as you awoke!" He smiled sheepishly and I smacked him lightly on the arm before scurrying out of the room. Hurrying past many familiar faces and smiling at those whose eyes caught mine, I reached the door of my father's study. I knocked, smoothed my rumpled robes and waited for a reply. Recieving a soft 'come in', I opened the door, slipped in and softly closed it behind me. 

"Ah, Inari, my dear girl," He rasped "I'm glad to see you up and walking, you gave me quite a scare falling over without warning. How's your head?"

"It's fine papa, nothing I can't manage when my mana returns." I kissed him on the cheek and sat down across from him. "What did you need me for?" 

"Ah, yes. The king has requested more healers at the Ostagar ruins camp, and while as an apprentice I couldn't have sent you, now that you've passed your Harrowing, I have no reason not to." Seemingly displeased he continued, "Wynne is going as well so at least I'm not sending you to war alone, but this once I do wish you weren't such a talented healer." 

"Oh papa, it'll be alright. It's not like Wynne and I will be in the thick of battle." At least that's what I hoped, "Besides, I'll be nice to leave the tower for once! Further than the Spoiled Princess I mean." I was born in the tower, and I'd never been further than the shore of lake Calenhad in my 17 years of life. The war had barely touched the tower, the only inclination of it being the groups of mages leaving every so often. I was curious as to what the world was like, especially in a time of crisis, something I had only read about. I assured my father that I would be careful and was about to leave his office when he called me back, he grasped my hand and asked me to sit. Dread seeped into my heart as worst case scenarios flooded my mind. 

"I've been waiting for the best time, and I'm still unsure, but," papa sighed and thought for a moment, "Your mother, she wasn't just an ordinary circle mage." I had heard that before, I knew she was an apostate before coming to the tower, but something more was behind my father's sad smile. 

"What's going on?" I asked in a soft voice as not to startle him from his thoughts. 

"Lyra was taken from her clan, she was the wife of a Dalish Keeper, and his second in command." This shocked me, mother was married? And the leader of a Dalish clan?

"I'm Dalish?" I breathed in wonder, Shereen had told me many stories of her people, my people, but I never imagined I had anything in common with them.  

"Yes love," papa hesitated again, "and you have a brother, if he's still alive." 

"Please papa, tell me the whole story?! I'm confused!" I begged.

"I can tell you all she told me, that much I owe you my girl." He took a deep breath and began. "Twenty years ago, your mother was heavily pregnant, and she and her husband were attacked by a group of humans, she was unclear as to why. They both survived, but her husband's wounds were fatal. He died, and the shock sent her into labor. She gave birth to your brother, still covered in the blood of his father. After making sure he was safe, and naming him, she went out to hunt down the men who attacked them. She found them, and burned them alive, what she didn't know was that the Templars saw her. She stood no chance in her weakened state and they dragged her away to the tower." He seemed drained, and in pain, the thought of mother taking a toll.