#dhearas

He couldn’t believe his eyes. They ran into an ambush from other elves and he really didn’t know how it happened. Two other elves came out of the forest, hooded like the others and when they stopped one of them started to talk, sounding a bit surprised. “Now that is an odd group we’ve got here. And then there’s a… dalish too.” The men looked at Athras now and the second one hold the first back as he wanted to step forward. “Let me talk to him. Please.” Athras watched them but after that they went on with talking quietly and it was hard to understand anything. It didn’t take long until the second man stepped forward, in the line of the other elves that pointed their weapons at them and took down his hood. When Athras realized who was standing in front of him he was shook. “I don’t know what you’re thinking right now but it probably isn’t anything good,” Dhearas started, looking over the other elves before his gaze turned back to Athras. “I would love to talk to you.” Athras swallowed hard, trying to ignore the looks the others were giving him now that it was clear that he knew at least one of those elves. “Here? In front of everyone? Or after you finished robbing us?” he asked after he found his voice again. “You are one of us. We are not here to attack you.” Dhea took another step forward, gaze steady on Athras while he pointed to the others. “You don’t have to get into any fight.” “But you’re attacking the others.” “Not if they give us their stuff without making a fuss.” As soon as Dhea finished there was a groaning going through the other elves. They probably wanted a fight. Athras took one step forward too which caused Partha to reach for him. He felt her hand lightly brushing against his skin before she pulled her hand back. He was thankful that no one of them had said anything till now. “You want to talk afterwards?” he asked and Dhea nodded. “But I have one question. How is Leena doing?” “She is doing well. At least before I left. I didn’t see her afterwards,” Dhea answered after a moment. He had probably been too surprised that Athras was bringing up his sister. Athras went over to the elves but stopped halfway when he heard Partha whispering. “But… we are friends.” He took a deep breath. She had no clue how much that sentence hurt and he tried to look composed when he turned to his companions. “We are, Partha,” he said, forcing himself to smile, “but Dhea was my friend first.” When he saw their expressions he had hold himself back from going back to them. He was standing in the middle and the idea he just had after Dhea told him about Leena was stupid. If not suicidal since he wasn’t a good fighter anyways. But if he went back now the surprise moment wasn’t there anymore. So he took his staff, facing his companions and raised it in the air. “At least run towards me,” he thought as he started to cast the spell. But they just stood there watching him. He was fast. From one second to the other he turned around and threw an arcane lance at Dhea who hadn’t seen this coming at all. The other elves didn’t as well so he had time to cast another one before one of them was at his side, burying a dagger in Athras arm. He didn’t care about it. Dhea had promised to take care of Leena and he didn’t. And after that he didn’t believe a word Dhea just said.

Athras listened as they exchanged their vows. He didn’t know why he didn’t see it coming. It must have been obvious to the others that there was something between his sister and his best friend. “Isn’t there someone you laid your eyes on? the keeper asked Athras after the ceremony.

It took them some time to finally get back, Athras refusing Dheas help the whole time. But at the camp Dhea pulled Athras to the keeper so that he could make sure that the wound was taken care off. When the keeper got bandages Dhea asked: “Why don’t you just heal him?” The keeper stopped and looked to the kid. “We shouldn’t use magic to do everything when nature and time heal as good as magic does. There may be a scar but that’s how life works.” Then he turned to Athras. “You should keep those words in mind. Don’t waste magic if there’s a way nature can give you the same.”

When Silea was looking for her son she found him and Dhea sleeping soundly in Dheas bed, cuddling against each other because it was getting cold already. She took the blanket and draped it over them before leaving and telling Dheas mother that the children were sleeping already.