21This began in grim tales, I've decided to give it its own spot, hope you like it.
DG
A New Road: Lyna's Tale
Lyna Mahariel, daughter of the Sabrae clan, Grey Warden, warrior, berserker, Hero and Warden Commander of Ferelden, Blight Queller, and a dozen other useless titles lay in the soft clover in the middle of a forest. Blue eyes that almost seemed to glow in the moonlight stared up into the star filled sky. A slight breeze rustled her long blonde hair, her pale face seemed to glow in the twilight, the triangular shaped tattoos on both her chin and forehead both pointed at her fine rounded nose.
The elf sighed, letting the sounds of the forest wash over her. For far too long she had been trapped in the shemlen world, bound by duty an honor to protect those that had destroyed her people so long ago. Once upon a time, she had been furious about that, enraged in fact. She had been dragged off to fight in a shemlen war…
Lyna took a great cleansing breath.
Now…almost three years later, she knew better.
Time had put much distance between the elven brat she had been, and the warden she had become. She had enjoyed great hardship, found both sadness and joy, love and hate. She had come to see the value of the shemlen world. Their strength and their courage had impressed her. She had made friends among them, brave friends, bold adventurers.
She pursed her lips, resisting the urge to shudder that had nothing to do with the cold.
Lyna sighed.
She had done much, saved many lives, but now…now…
Her eyes narrowed.
Now…those days were done.
She stared up into the night sky, remembering what the Hahren used to teach about the constellations, the tales that the Dalish would never forget because they were written in those stars. The humans had other names for those stars, but it was Master Paivel's stories that she still treasured.
She blinked as a single tear ran down her face.
Thinking of the past, of what had been lost; perhaps that was what had driven her to leave the life she had built among the shemlen behind.
Perhaps that was why…she knew it was time to say goodbye.
She thought of everyone she had lost, friends and enemies both. She thought of Duncan. She thought of King Cailan. She thought of Howe and Loghain. She thought of Varel, her loyal Seneschal, and the Mother and the Architect. She thought of Anders and Justice, vanished without a trace, and of poor Velanna, lost forever in the deep roads…
She thought of Tamlen...
The Dalish rose from the soft ground, a scowl darkening her features.
She had done…everything that was expected of her. She had redeemed the Grey Warden name in Ferelden. Put a new king on the throne, and ended the reign of a monstrous tainted god. At night, when she closed her eyes, she could still see the Archdemon, his black-violet scales, and its white empty eyes. She could still smell the stench of decayed flesh, and feel the heat of its black fire.
But that…that was not the worst of it.
She shook her head.
Even in this place of peace, she could still hear the song. It rang in her ears, not so loud that it would drive her mad, but just enough to remind her of the fate that would one day claim her.
She looked down at her hands, remembering the feel of the great sword in her hand, the hard stones of Fort Drakon beneath her feet.
She had slain the Archdemon, and lived, thanks to Morrigan's spells and Alistair's sacrifice. She could not help but wonder if that made her a coward. She knew that death would come if she slew the Archdemon, and so she had made a deal with the young witch of the wilds to cheat it of its prize.
Since then, she had heard the song, heard it oh so clearly. It was a part of her now, as were the flashes of memory that the Archdemon left as its spirit passed through her and into Morrigan…
…Passed into the witch's unborn child.
She tried not to think about that, what Morrigan would do with such a child. She had called the sorceress her friend, but even she didn't deny the darkness inside her.
Lyna shook her head.
Perhaps she was a fool for having let Morrigan go after their last encounter?
Perhaps the world would pay for it in the end.
After she had returned from that encounter, her life no longer seemed…as exciting as it once had been. She had gone through the motions of being warden commander. She had done what was expected of her, even as those she had come to call friends had either left or been taken from her.
Now only Oghren, Sigrun, and Nathaniel remained, good friends and allies both, and all would die by the calling, if the darkspawn did not kill them first.
Then she had thought of Alistair, her friend and more. He had taught her, shown her the beauty of his world. She had made him king, but that would not save him from the taint the wardens had left in his blood.
One day he would hear the calling too, on that day he would travel to Orzammar and from there the deep roads. He would die, slain by the same filth they had fought during the Blight. He would die driven half mad by the song in his head.
Lyna's eyes narrowed.
She would be damned before she let that happen.
IOI
After Morrigan, she had called her lords together. As Commander of the Grey, she also served as Arlessa of Amaranthine…
It was time, to let that title go.
She formally relieved herself of command, passing it on to her friend Nathaniel.
The look on his face, she thought with a slight smile, was priceless.
That night she had summoned him to her quarters. He had likely had no idea the reason, by the time he arrived, he knew.
She had given him a sad smile, the black leather armor she wore was not the one she had worn as commander, but the suit she had used during the Blight.
It made sense to wear it again now. Now that she was done. She donned her travelling cloak and quiver. Her Dalish ax and dagger slid into their sheaths at her belt.
"Commander," he had said.
"What is going on?"
"I'm leaving," she answered, "Goodbye Nate."
He had stepped before her, blocking her path.
"What do you mean you are leaving?" he said, "You're still a warden, even if you are not commander anymore."
She shook her head.
"I'm not deserting the order if that is what you are wondering," she said wanly, "Think of this, as an extended recruiting trip. Any good recruits I come across will find their way to the warden garrisons in my travels, but my time living this life is over."
She shook her head.
"I need to leave," she sighed, "I may never see Ferelden again, perhaps I may even mean not to."
Her confession had taken her fellow warden by surprise; still they had become friends in the last year or so.
He knew better than to question her. He lowered his head slightly.
"Where will you go?" he asked.
"North," she said, "At least for the time being, then…maybe west. I have not truly decided."
She picked up her old travelling pack, the one given to her by Duncan so long ago. She slung it over her arm.
"I need to find something," she said, "And I can't find it here."
"What are you seeking? Maybe we can help."
She shook her head no.
"These are questions I must answer on my own."
Nathaniel snorted and turned away, pacing angrily.
Lyna had not wanted to anger her friend. Despite what others might have thought, she did consider him not just as an ally, but as part of her, part of her clan.
That thought almost made her give up her quest right then and there.
Did she really want to lose her clan, again?
She steeled her heart.
This time was different.
This time, it was her choice.
"You would leave everything behind, just to answer a question?"
She nodded.
"What question could possibly be so important?"
She almost laughed when he said that.
A bratty young warden had asked that same question of a Qunari Sten years ago.
Nathaniel would get no more answers out of her than she had out of him.
The new warden commander sighed.
"You will do this alone?" he said.
She shrugged.
"I'll take Arrow with me."
Nathaniel snorted.
"You and a Mabari pup against the entire world."
She chuckled.
"You can feel sorry for the world if you like."
He gave her an icy look.
She coughed.
Perhaps humor was not what was called for right now.
She shook her head.
"If I need to, I will find people along the way."
Nathaniel sighed.
"Why?" he demanded.
"Why do this now?"
She sighed.
"Because the world is changing," she replied, "I can feel it. It…it is going to change everything. Even the wardens will not be able to escape it."
She gave him a sad smile.
"We are going to need more than what we have now. If I succeed, maybe the wardens will all benefit."
Her ears lowered slightly.
"If I fail, then I will die, only me. My body will die, but what I did here, what we built here. That will live on."
She smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"I should have died when I killed the Archdemon. I know that, now I have to make up for the fact that I cheated death."
She placed both her hands on his shoulders.
"I need you to accept this, make sure the others accept it too…"
Her expression turned serious, deadly serious.
"Do not look for me; do not try to follow me. My time here is done."
She smiled and ruffled his hair, mainly because she knew it annoyed him.
He grumbled even as she smirked at him.
"Your time is just beginning. I have given you a strong keep and a strong order to lead."
"Take care of them for me."
She embraced him then. A man that had come to this place to kill her, and now ruled it with her blessing. Such an amazing turn of events that…
She hoped he would not waste it.
"Is there no way I can talk you out of this?" he asked.
"None," she answered.
"Then Maker watch over you Lyna of the Grey Wardens."
She almost sobbed.
"May your god watch over you as well, my friend, Dareth shiral."
She tightened her grip on him, wanting to remember this hug, and knowing that it would be the last one they would share.
"Dareth shiral."
IOI
Lyna glanced around her tiny camp. It had been two days since she had left the Vigil.
The journey had been a lonely one. Arrow, her loyal Mabari did his best to keep her cheered, but even his antics could only amuse her for so long.
Lyna sighed.
Arrow had been sired by her original warhound. He had perished during the final battle atop Fort Drakon. He had been able to sire only a single litter in the Redcliffe kennels.
She gave the dog a sad smile.
His sire would be proud of him. He had proven himself many times in protecting his mistress. Now they were walking into the unknown together.
She hoped they would both be ready.
Snap!
She was on her feet in a heartbeat, bow in hand, arrow nocked. Beside her arrow growled into the darkness.
The Dalish's eyes narrowed, her superior night vision allowed her to see deep into the shadows.
She scanned the trees around her camp, and strangely enough…found nothing.
Arrow growled and gave one last warning bark; he looked up at his mistress even as she lowered her bow.
She smiled and gave him a gentle pat upon the head.
"Getting jumpy these days lethallin," she cooed.
The dog nuzzled her side.
She giggled and pushed him away…
…Turning one last time to look out into the darkness.
A shiver ran down her spine.
She could not shake the feeling that they were still being watched.
If it was an animal it would likely seek to avoid her fire. If it was not…?
Well…things might get a little interesting before dawn.
She glanced around one last time, before lying back down on the soft ground.
Arrow whined at her.
"It is okay," she cooed, "I'm just going to sleep for an hour or two.
She smiled.
"Bark if you see anything."
The dog sat down on his haunches, he peered out into the night. A better watchman she could not have found.
She rested her head on her arm, trying to get comfortable.
Whatever was out there, if anything was out there, it would do no good chasing after it in the dark.
Before the wardens, she might have rushed head long into the darkness, but now she had learned patience.
What was out there would reveal itself soon enough.
Let it come, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
"I am ready."
A/N: Lyna's journey is not over. Nathaniel was right, she shouldn't stand alone, and she will not be. New friends will find their way into her circle. If you want to hear more of this story shoot me a review.
Until next time, dear readers!
DG
