DA:I | Simply Solavellan: A Timeline ✔️

The First Time He Laughed

[Soundtrack: Wild Flower by Adrian von Ziegler]

We had traveled from Haven to the untameable shores of the Storm Coast. Varric, Solas, Cassandra and I were awaiting the arrival of a company known as the Bull's Chargers. We were here to make potential allies with them. However, they were running late, and it seemed there was no end to this damnable rain.

That night, instead of confining myself to my tent, I walked outside and sat beneath one of the tall pine trees positioned just before the shoreline. I brought a blanket with me and wrapped it around myself, covering my head and shoulders.

To my surprise, Solas dropped down from the tree I had chosen to sit under, startling me.

"Holy -!"

"Shh. I'm sorry." He chuckled. "I did not mean to scare you."

"Solas. Ah." I patted my chest, wishing I could steady my heart. "What were you doing up there?"

His clothes were soaked, water dripped from his head down his brow and cheeks. I couldn't take my eyes off the collar of his tunic where the water trailed down his neck and disappeared into his clothes.

He sat beside me and rested his staff on the ground. "I was just sightseeing."

"In this weather? And it's starting to get dark."

"True. I was merely looking for rifts and the like. Things that were easily spotted. What are you doing out here in this weather?"

"I'm bored. I can't stand another minute of sitting in that tent next to Cassandra. She's just reading. Every now and again, I'll hear her make this disgusted noise or gasp."

"And Varric wasn't telling stories?"

"Varric nodded off while writing his latest manuscript." I shrugged. "If it weren't so dark and stormy, I'd love to go exploring."

He nodded. "That would be ideal."

"Tell me a story about your travels," I demanded playfully as I often did when Solas and I were together.

He grinned. "All right. I found an ancient dwarven thaig no longer sheltered by the stone. An earthquake had exposed it all to daylight. A thousand dwarven corpses lay, the victims of a Darkspawn horde. Their last great stand marked by one great ring of armor. In the middle, one small body clutching tightly to a small stuffed toy --"

"Stop. That's not a good story..."

"Would you like to hear a more lighthearted one?"

"Please."

He smiled. "I met a friendly spirit who observed the dreams of village girls as love first blossomed in their adolescence. With subtlety, she steered them all toward village boys with gentle hearts, who would return their love with gentle kindness. 'The Matchmaker,' so I called her. That small village never knew its luck."

A small smile played at my lips. What a kind spirit. I wish I could meet such souls. I looked over at Solas. "Did the spirit ever help you find a village girl?"

He laughed nervously. "No, no. Her time of helping the village girls had long since passed as the girls had great-great-grandchildren by then and had died of old age. I have never..."

When he stopped, I searched his face.

"Well, it is getting a bit late. And I do believe I'm soaked to the bone. Would you like to retire to camp?"

I nodded.

He stood up and held out a hand for me. I took his hand and he helped me up from the ground.

We walked together back up the hill to the forward camp. On the way, I saw a large puddle and grinned mischievously. I just couldn't help myself.

I waited for him to get in just the right position, then I jumped with all of my force into the puddle with both feet, splashing his legs and soaking his pants further.

He stopped and held both his hands up in disbelief as he looked down at his pants and footwraps with dismay. He looked flustered at first, but when he saw me holding back a laugh, he squinted his eyes and smiled.

He lifted his staff and used his magic to pool all the water together and lifted it over my head.

"Solas, no."

With one flick of his wrist, he let the water go.

"NO --"

Splash!

I was drenched.

I pouted and looked at him with annoyance, but it quickly faded away when he threw his head back in a genuine laugh. I had never heard him laugh like that before.

"You know that's cheating," I stated.

As his laughter died down, he answered, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to give you your just desserts."

"What are you two doing down there?" asked Cassandra from the top of the hill.

"Nothing," we both answered, followed by another bout of laughter.