[FIC] The Devil Takes Care of His Own: Velanna

[alaterdate]

Title : The Devil Takes Care of His Own [AO3]
Series: Dragon Age
Characters: Lachlan Surana (HOF); Velanna
Rating: General
Word Count: 676
Summary: A confrontation in the Wending Woods.
A/N: Part 5/8

The Wending Woods were hers. Nothing could drive her from there, not shems, darkspawn, or the meddling flat-ear. Velanna watched him and his friends hike the hillside. Her patience with them grew thinner by the second. This place was not for him. He walked around with those ugly marks on his face, a mockery of the Dalish vallaslin (though when she confronted him about them he would not admit it). Another city elf pawing at their culture, he would never understand what it was like for the Dalish. Even now he roamed with shems and children of the stone; the Dalish didn’t have the luxury of befriending those outside their clan. Not that Velanna would if she could have anyway. It was difficult enough inside the clan. The only companion she ever had was Seranni and now she was gone too, kidnapped by shems. She vowed to destroy them all to get her sister back.

The flat-ear rounded the hill. Too close now. Velanna rushed out onto his path to stop him from coming any further into the woods.

“I told you to stay away from here. To stay away from me!” She couldn’t help the way her voice cracked as she shouted. He needed to leave. To go away forever. Leave her to her search. To her vengeance.

“We need to talk.” His voice was calm, confident even.

What tricks would he try to pull on her? Enough was enough.

“We have nothing to talk about.”

Sylvans sprouted up at her will. The forest was hers to command. The right of the Keeper. But, he did not hesitate to cut them down. Fire spread from his hands, consuming, consuming. Didn’t he care at all about what he trampled down in his wake? She ran. Her feet knew this land, she didn’t have to think, only feel. The brush of leaves scraping against her exposed skin as she passed, the inclines and divots of the ground, the fallen branches waiting to cause disaster. These were hers. He shouldn't have been able to keep up with her, to hound her like a demon.

A clearing opened up before her. She would make her last stand there.

"You won't take me alive," she huffed.

The flat-ear also breathed heavily when he replied, "I'm not taking you anywhere. We just need to talk." He reached into a fold in his robes and pulled out a trinket. “About your sister.” He tossed the leather corded charm across the field to her.

Velanna caught it with ease. She gasped as she felt its familiar shape. The first Halla, Ghilan'nain. Ghilan'nain who was lured from her sisters with lies, before being murdered. Ghilan'nain who sought justice against those who wronged her.

“This is Seranni’s. She would never willingly part with this, our mother gave it to her before she died. Where did you get this?”

“I found it on a darkspawn. They’ve been playing you and the humans against each other.”

“Impossible. Darkspawn are mindless creatures.”

“There’s something different about these ones. They grow more cunning each day.”

“Then they killed my people and took my sister?”

“Yes. Now, stop attacking my caravans. Those supplies are supporting my Wardens. We'll need them to find her.”

Velanna spun on him. “You want to find Seranni? Why? You said before that you don't care for the People."

“The darkspawn have been… collecting women. To make mothers. No one deserves such a fate.”

“Are you saying Seranni will become one of them? I will not allow it! Where will you start? Do you know where they dwell?”

“As a Grey Warden I have the ability to track darkspawn. I will find them and I will find your sister. The state in which she returns to you is another matter.”

Tendons tightened around her staff. It would be so easy to drag this pissant into the ground, but she couldn’t fight the darkspawn on her own. Not yet. “I will find Seranni. Whatever it takes.”

"Then join me, but know it just might take your life."