Fen'Tarasyl

Chapter Nine

The world was nothing but darkness, except for a small sliver of light that came from the sky above. There was a figure standing in that ray of light, but Talyn was too far away to see who it was. She tried to move toward the person, but her feet would not move. No matter how hard Talyn tried, she couldn't go to the person standing in the sun.

But then, the light, and the person standing underneath it shuffled towards her. The sound of their feet scraping against the ground sent a shard of panic through Talyn. She fought against her invisible bonds now, trying to run away from the person making their way over to her.

"Look what you made her do." A woman's voice groaned. The woman was small, plump, with a hood pulled over her head. She walked like a hobbled old woman, but she sounded young.

"No, please go away!" Talyn begged. She didn't want to know what was under that hood. She had a sinking feeling that she already knew.

The woman violently threw her hood back, to reveal a grotesque monster that was once a warm, loving elf. Her face was marred with thick scars, and where her nose once was, was all but a black hole in her face. Her green eyes, which were once so warm, were now filled with an unending hatred. She reached out to Talyn, pointing one gnarled, broken claw of a finger in her direction.

"LOOK AT WHAT YOU CREATED!"

Talyn woke up covered in a thin layer of cold sweat. Her heart was hammering in her chest, like she had just finished a battle.

She rolled off of her sleeping mat and stumbled out of the tent. She rested her hands on her knees and gasped for breath. The crisp, cold night air felt good on her sticky skin.

When she was ready, she stood up straight, running a hand through her pale hair. She breathed in deeply through her nose, to calm her startled heart.

Was that a memory? The woman felt familiar, even twisted and mangled as she was. Talyn had felt horror, and shame when she saw her. Shame.

Look at what you created.

The camp was dead silent. Everyone was asleep, save for the scouts that were on their shifts for watch duty. But even they stared at her, studied her, like she was a novelty. Suddenly, Talyn felt like she couldn't be there. She needed to get out of the camp, to go somewhere where she could be alone, without the prying eyes of those who revered her like some sort of god.

So she walked out of the camp, barefoot, with no weapons on her person. She didn't know where she was walking, only that she had to be away from them. From everyone.

Look what you made her do.

Who? Who was the villain in Talyn's life? Why couldn't she remember her? Or anything, for that matter?

"Would you like some company?" A gentle, familiar voice sounded right next to her.

She looked up to see Solas walking beside her.

"I..." She looked ahead of her, taking her eyes away from Solas and his hypnotizing gaze. "I don't know."

A comfortable silence fell between them. Talyn was brooding, and she knew that Solas could feel that. Yet even though Talyn didn't want to talk, Solas stayed by her side. Waiting patiently for her to speak, or to run, or to do anything that she decided to do.

Why was he always so near her? Was it because of the mark? Or was it because he was just as alone as Talyn was? He never bonded with any of their companions the way Talyn did. He rarely spoke to them, except to give them advice about whatever threat they faced. The only one he seemed to bother to befriend was Talyn.