The Taint of Magic - A Solas x Lavellan Story

Long Road Ahead

Day one of no Solas, and it passed slowly. Evelyn stood in the back end of Jorrvaskr watching the others, a sense of home warmed her but she didn't allow it to settle. Varric was telling stories of her, all listened with such vigor she had to remember Varric's power with words. Her mind went back to her love, why had he been so angry? What had he expected from her? A fight perhaps? She sighed faintly and looked back at the people who surrounded her.

Day two of no Solas passed the same, stories and ale and lack of feeling. All she wanted to do was go out and find him, but Skyrim was a big place and she had no idea where he went nor if he even knew where to go. What if bandits got him? Or those damn spiders? Evelyn breathed in the cold misty air and felt a shiver run down her spine. She had found that she hadn't been gone at all. For some reason time passed differently in Skyrim to Thedas and she worried what that meant for the others.

Day three of no Solas was met with more shivers, they were coming more often and she flexed her hand each time. The only time she caught it was when she was sat, watching Varric tell the story of how she fell out of a realm of spirits. Oohs and ahhs surrounded her as she watched the mark on her hand glow and flicker. She frowned and watched it, there was no way that his mark could work here as there was no veil for it to work on. It calmed and dulled after a moment, and that was when she felt the shiver, this wasn't natural and it was making her jumpy.

Day four of no Solas was even worse, Evelyn was pacing by the skyforge as Eourlaud told her of the things that had happened. She was itching for something. Anything. What was wrong with her?
"And we have seen an increase of these weird creatures..." That caught her attention, she spun to face him and watched as he smiled faintly, he knew she wasn't listening.

"Sorry, go on, creatures?" Evelyn said with a slight smile, he chuckled at this and stopped working on the sword.

"Farkas came back one night, said it raised up like the dust and attacked without warning, no deaths but the wounds were unlike any I have seen." he said and brushed his hands on the apron, "Then welps started coming back with burns or frostbite, some with claws marks that festered. Only the magic from Winterhold can heal them." he said and looked at the Harbinger. Demons.

"How long, Eourlaud, how long ahs this been happening?" she asked and took his arms, the mark sparked as she did so and the man stopped for a moment.

"The last few weeks...what does-" she was already half way down the steps, running too fast for him to keep up with.

Day five of no Solas, and Evelyn had a plan. A bad plan as Varric said, but a plan all the same. Her mother though, was smiling so sweetly. Evelyn was packing her pack when the older elf stopped her and sat down beside her daughter.

"There is something I have to tell you, my dear." She started and Evelyn felt dread twist in her stomach, but the dragonborn stopped and sat cross legged before her mother. "I should tell you of your father, a very important man to everyone." she started and Evelyn frowned more, she had always thought her farther died in Skyrim.

"He was a knight of Mythal, the commander and leader of her guards. He was our goddess's favourite and many named him a child of a dragon with his fierce protection and desire to fight. When I found I was with child, with you, he was so happy." she said and brushed her daughters hair slowly. "He had such big plans for you, but then...they attacked." Evelyn held her breath as her mother explained that an argument between the gods led them to fight and they found that gods or namely, goddesses, could die.

"Before she died, she told us to use the broken Eluvian. But we could only send three or four, your father stayed behind...made me promise you would never return to Thedas. Arlathan would fall. But that was the way the world had to be." she said as she put braids in Evelyn's hair. "I knew all the gods and goddesses, as Handmaiden, but your Fen'Harel...he wasn't at all like I remembered." she said and looked at her. "He didn't even recognize me at first, which I thought was very odd as I helped him with the uprising." she said with a shake of her head. Evelyn frowned more at this, that was the second time someone had said something like that to her...who was the first?

"Thank you mama, I have to do this now more then ever." she said and kissed her mothers hands before standing, "Maybe I can find out why he was so angry..." she said softly. Her mother simply smiled more and stood too.

"My little dragon, be safe." Evelyn merely nodded and hugged the elder before leaving Breezehome and heading for the gates.

Day six of no Solas and being alone once more, Varric staying behind to protect her mother, it was oddly peaceful and relaxing. No one forcing her to bow to nobles, or fight monsters, fix broken kingdoms or skies and no one giving her that look. But her heart wept and she knew the only way to fix that was to find her wolf and that was going to be a fight in itself. The road was long and she had plenty of time...didn't she?

Day seven of no Solas was long, walking towards Riften. A whole week since he left again but she wasn't so...broken by it. Which was very odd. Surely if it had been true then she would feel like she had once before, but no, she felt determined. Evelyn was lay on her bedroll rubbing her hand and staring at the sky. The sun was setting and she was about half way. The mark kept sparking and she could start to feel it again. Evelyn closed her eyes and breathed in, a whole week of no dreams, was she glad of that?

This night would be different. She woke in what looked like the golden city she had been in with Pan and she stopped as she saw a scene play in front of her. Was that...Solas? She pushed herself up and tried to get closer, it was! She stopped as she watched him talk to a woman. He looked sad. Why did he look sad? She couldn't hear what they were saying but it looked weird, she blinked as the mark sparked and flared, causing pain to flare in her palm. She didn't take her eyes off him though, what was the mark trying to tell her? She gasped as his eyes found hers. No longer were they green but fully black.

She woke in that instant.