Fen'Tarasyl

Chapter Four

The entire trek up to the forward camp, Solas stayed by Talyn's side. Through every battle they fought, Solas was right there, as if he had appointed himself as her protector. Talyn didn't mind his proximity, if only because she felt like she was being pulled towards him. Like there was some invisible line that connected the two of them, and when they wandered too far the line went taut and yanked them back together.

"So you remember nothing from your past? Where you're from, your childhood?" Solas asked after another battle with demons.

He didn't even look winded, as if the magic wall of ice and the balls of frozen fire he had been conjuring didn't phase him. Like he could fight demons all day. Whereas Talyn was starting to tire. She envied his energy.

She shook her head. "Some things feel familiar to me. Like the bow, and the sword. I feel as if they are a part of me. However, my body obeys the command of instincts I don't remember acquiring."

Solas was quiet for a long while after that, deep in thought.

"Maybe it's the lyrium that made you forget." Varric chipped in, his crossbow draped across his shoulders as they walked. "I know an elf who used to be a slave in Tevinter. His master was a power-hungry magister that liked to play god, so he took my friend and marked him with lyrium. The pain caused him to forget his life before the lyrium."

"It's not the lyrium that made you forget. Those markings are too old." Solas said. "You walked the Fade in your physical form. You should be dead. The fact that you are not is all thanks to the emerald mark on your palm."

"So... You're saying that whatever happened at that Conclave thing is what took away my memory?" Talyn asked.

"It's the most logical explanation." Solas replied.

"But still, only a mage can burn lyrium into another person. And we all know you're not a mage." Varric spoke.

"So am I a slave? Like your friend?" Talyn turned to Varric.

Varric shrugged. "Possibly. But slavery is outlawed everywhere except in Tevinter."

Cassandra interceded. "Which means, either you are truly innocent, or whoever your master is, they are the cause for the Divine's death."

Talyn sighed. "I don't even know what the Conclave is. How could I have caused it?"

"Was. The Conclave was a meeting between the rebel mages and the Templars, to try and find peace on both sides and stop the bloodshed." Cassandra explained.

"Mages aren't allowed to leave the Circle, which the Templar's guard. But the Circle had become something darker than it's original purpose, courtesy of a certain Knight-Commander. Mages were being made Tranquil left and right, locked in their cells and never allowed to come out, that sort of thing. Finally the mages said enough. But the war hadn't started until after Blondie blew up the Chantry in Kirkwall, the idiot." Varric explained further to Talyn after seeing her confused expression. "A war between the mages and Templars probably wouldn't have even been needed if he didn't do that."

Cassandra scoffed. "The mages were out of line. They're magic is to-"

They were approaching what looked to be a camp, men and women in armor walking with purpose in their steps. That stopped the conversation, and left Talyn much to think about later.

They approached a woman with pale red hair, Leiliana, and a man. They were both standing over a map, arguing about something. The man was short, with graying hair and a look that could wither flowers.

The man pointed to Talyn, and shouted, "seize the murderer!"

Solas, who was standing by Talyn's side, tensed, gripped his staff tighter, and maneuvered himself so that he was standing somewhat in front of Talyn. She adjusted her hold on the stolen sword she was carrying, squaring her shoulders, preparing herself for a fight. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Varric doing the same thing, his crossbow in his hands.

"Stand down." Cassandra ordered the men who were unsheathing their swords and advancing towards Talyn. They stopped, confusion written all over their faces, and looked between the man and Cassandra. It was a strained moment, where Talyn's life was left in the hands of the gods. Finally, they sheathed their swords and stepped back.

Talyn exhaled a deep breath she didn't know she was holding.

The man's face turned a nice shade of purple. "What is the meaning of this? She needs to be sent to Val Royeaux for execution!" The man shouted at Cassandra.

"Roderick, we need her. She is the only one that has any hope of closing the Breach." Cassandra explained to the Chancellor.

"What if she's the one who caused it? You can't just blindly trust an elf!"

Talyn's nostrils flared in anger at the way he had said elf. Like she was dirty.

"This elf is more trustworthy than you are at the moment Roderick. We can have a trial for her after we seal the Breach."

"What in Thedas do you mean, the elf is more-"

Roderick would have continued shouting, but Cassandra held up a hand. She made some sort of gesture, and the two guards who were going to shackle Talyn made there way to Roderick. "I don't have time to deal with you, Roderick. We're busy saving the world. We can discuss what to do with her after we close the Breach."

Roderick's face went from a deep shade of purple to stark white, his lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes becoming bloodshot with rage. As the soldiers grabbed his arms and dragged him away from the table, he shouted some rather obscene terms to Cassandra, which she gracefully ignored.

Cassandra leaned against the table, looking down at the map. "Leiliana, which way is the best route to get the Breach?"

Varric and Leiliana joined her at the table, but Talyn stayed back. She looked down at the blue tattoos that coated her bare hands, and the emerald mark that rested on her palm, it's shimmering light dulled only by the momentary calmness of the tear in the sky. At any moment the sky would unleash it's rage once again and leave Talyn in a blithering mess on the ground, crying and squirming as the pain took over her body.

She thought back to Cassandra's words, how the mark was killing her.

She closed her hand into a fist.

And then cried out, as the Breach shook the world and the mark on her hand flared. She dropped her stolen sword and fell to the ground, holding her hand with the other as she bowed her head and gritted her teeth. The fire was so intense, it burned her arms, then it burned her entire body.

Cool fingers brushed the hair from her forehead. Comforting words in a different language were spoken low in her ear. The owner of the cool hands held onto her Marked hand gently. She just kept her eyes squeezed shut and rode the wave of pain until it came crashing down onto the rocks of her mind and she was herself again. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into two pools of silver. He was still holding onto her hand.

"There isn't much time left." Solas said in a worried tone, his eyes trained on Talyn.

"We'll take the mountain pass." Cassandra said as Solas helped Talyn to her feet.

"It's dangerous." Leiliana warned. "We've lost a countless number of men on that pass."

Cassandra nodded her head in agreement, her eyes still on Talyn. "Yes, but it's faster. Let's go."