Fen'Tarasyl

Chapter Twenty-Nine

They were racing against time and moved with a swiftness that only the gods could have blessed them with. The fear for the Grey Wardens affected everyone, because if they truly did fall, then the world was doomed. The next Blight would consume Thedas. Corypheus could not win this.

The Western Approach was little more than an empty wasteland. There was a beauty to it's rocky mountains and moving sands, but Talyn didn't like the heat. She felt like her skin was melting. She would rather be on her mountain, where it was snowing at this exact moment. Although, they did get relief from the sun at night, when the temperatures dropped low enough to make snow if there had been any moisture in the air.

There was no time to rest. They only made small stops to water the horses and eat, and then they would be on the road again. So, there was no time for Talyn to ask Solas about the information she had gained from Keeper Adralan in the Emerald Graves. She hadn't told him yet about her encounter with the Dalish either. She knew how he felt about them, and she could understand why. Speaking to them in Elvish had been a disaster.

But that was another thing that bothered her. Why was it that only her and Solas could speak proper Elvish? Why were they so different from the others? The other elves around Skyhold, and even the Dalish elves, had all been shorter, and slender. So why was it that her and Solas were tall, and built more like humans? Their ears were different from the others as well. They were longer, sharper looming. The term "knife-ear" applied to her and Solas more than it did the other elves.

These were all questions she wanted answers to, but the most important one that needed to be answered was this: Why, did one of the only memories Talyn obtained since she fell out of the rift in Haven mention an ancient demi-god from the past? How was she connected to Rasdalalen?

She knew that Solas knew there was something on her mind. Solas knew everything, it seemed. She could tell how hard he had to try to not ask her about it, because he also knew that now wasn't the time for that conversation.

They stopped for the night when they were a day away from Adamant. The soldiers needed to rest, otherwise they wouldn't be prepared for tomorrow. The cool air felt like heaven on Talyn's sweaty skin. She was laying with Solas underneath the stars away from the rest of the Inquisition, their limbs tangled underneath the furs they had pulled over them. She had her head on his chest, his steady heartbeat singing in her ear. Solas was running his fingers through her tangled hair, gently undoing the knots he created during their lovemaking.

She couldn't sleep. After their passion was spent, Talyn couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen tomorrow. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that the Wardens were willingly inviting demons into their bodies because they were afraid of the Blight. And then there were the questions that have been on her mind for days. It filled her with unease, and that nervousness made it impossible for her to close her eyes.

"Sleep, little wolf." Solas murmured. "You need your strength."

Little wolf. Hmm. She kind of liked that.

"So do you." She replied.

"We're not talking about me." He countered.

"Well then, what are you thinking about?" She asked.

He sighed and wrapped her long hair around his hand. He tugged on her hair, so she was forced to look up at him.

His voice was like honey when he spoke in Elvish, "ar'm cogitare thu ma ema ta faciem an exercitus or mila soldieris enfenim, har or geal, la'var eal erathe slanna ahnsul ma tel'nea neal ne or nen dara to erat."

I'm thinking about how you have to face an army of elite soldiers possessed by fear, while being sleep deprived because you won't rest.

She rolled her eyes and responded, "Ar'm tel din a esha'lin or da'lin."