Rheyah isn't a new parent, but she's such a Tama! This prompt could be adorable for her:
#11 - being repeatedly astonished how tiny the baby is
I have been talking WAY too much about Rheyah and her (many, many siblings, so here is a pre-Inquisition, post-Kirkwall snippet of Rheyah and her family! Rheyah is about 14 here, so it's five years before Inquisition.
Rheyah Adaar & the Valo-Kas, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, childcare, family fluff (I promise!!)
@daughter-of-war | @dadrunkwriting
an unsung melody is mine for safekeeping
Rheyah knows she should feel safe, when they cross the Vimmark Mountains, and the sea that they came across before she was born, the sea that has always roared hungry and blue at her back, is swallowed by the different, more solid blue of the mountains, a wall rising up between her Kith and whatever remains of the Qun in Kirkwall. Wildervale is called wild for a reason, and here, her stolen maps promise, they will not be found.
She knows she should feel safe when the bas who rarely spot them respond with flight, or curious stares, rather than reaching immediately for their weapons, when they respond to her attempts at smiles and stumbled greetings with strange, stiff smiles of their own. She knows they do not mean them, of course, that itâs far closer to safety than sheâs been since her magic bloomed in her veins, since Adaar-who-was carried her from the Kirkwall compound beneath the folds of his cloak, tucked against the sword that is now her own along with his name.
She knows she should feel safe when her Kith choose the stony scrap of land they think the bas least likely to notice or miss, and begin to raise up wooden palisades, bound together with the rope she teaches the older children to ply until their fingers toughen and callus, harden to labour as her own have. They cry, sometimes, when the rope wears their soft little hands red and raw, and she soothes them with elfroot when she can spare it, and kisses when she cannot.
âYou are working hard to help build our home too,â she reminds them, when they get bored and whiny. (She no longer remembers the luxury of boredom, or of whining. It is probably for the best).
When they cry from half-remembered nightmares of the road, or the flight from the compound, or the fearful, unfamiliar sounds of the forest that is now their home, she soothes them with pretty words that feel far less real, less useful than elfroot: âWeâre building strong walls, and our Kith have strong shoulders and strong arms, and so will you, one day. Maraas shokra, there is nothing to struggle against.â
She hates the feeling that she is lying to them, that she has nightmares of her own, that the compound where most of them were born had strong walls too, and strong shoulders and strong arms, and none of these things kept any of them safe, in the end, or they would not be here. They would not be left to the care of a dangerous thing. She hates, most of all, that she knows she should feel safe, now, that these walls are a promise from her Kith, and still, she cannot trust them, despite all they have done for her.
She does not feel safe, strangely, until the first child is born into the compound, for all that delivering her first baby, even with what little assistance the rest of the Kith can provide, is a far bloodier experience than any battle sheâs ever seen. But afterwards⌠Afterwards, when Hatice is pale but finally sleeping, and the blankets have been scrubbed clean as best she can manage in the river, the world is suddenly quiet, but for the first trills of morning birds, and the soft mewling of the newest member of her Kith, tucked up in the clean laundry in her basket.
All the other children are younger than her, of course â they would be, she reminds herself, they are still children, and her Day of Designation was a year and a half ago now â but she only hazily recalls the few she remembers the births of. Still, it does not feel unnatural to lift the little one from the basket, to tuck it into the crook of her arm, to remind them that hers were the hands that brought them into the world.
âMaraas shokra,â she reminds them, and for the first time since she became responsible for everyone younger than herself, she realises she means the words. There is nothing to struggle against. There is only the pink, creeping light of dawn, and the soft rush of the river, and the two of them, the first or last ones awake in the camp. âI am here. Alone, you are small, but together⌠together we are the bones of the world.â
Adaar-that-was had said that to her once, when she was still young enough to cry for comfort, rather than provide it. âWe are one Antaam, one body. Your heartbeat is my heartbeat.â
As if to confirm her words, the babyâs fingers wrap around her own, or try to, and they nuzzle into her chest, as if seeking proof of her heart beating alongside their own, grizzling quieting as they find it. Their skin is warm, lustreless copper against her own tarnished silver, and they are so complete, so small in their perfection, that it almost pricks tears to her eyes. Hatice was elven, before she was viddathari, and her eyes darken, sometimes, at the memory of the cruelties her people face in the world outside the Qun, but surely, the bas who treat elves so cruelly have never seen how small, how perfect their children are. Nobody could see something so little, so soft, and wish harm upon it, and she tells them so.
Behind her, she hears a low, warm laugh, and feels a broad hand on her shoulder.
âAdaar-that-was said that to you, once.â She looks up at Beraan, who has known her since she was born, who knew Adaar before she was so much as a grain of sand in the belly of someone she never knew, and she cannot help but smile.
âI was never this small,â she points out, and he grins down at her, his smile warming her far more than the still-rising sun.
âYou were damn close, or I thought so, back then. To think, youâre big enough to play Tama yourself nowâŚâ
âI delivered this one today!â she retorts, pride only a little stung. âThatâs not playing.â She doesnât remember playing, in truth. The older children call her boring, sometimes, for that. If she were a real tamassran, and not a pretender, she would know how to play with them, but this- this is easy. This is just being warm, and having a heartbeat, and the end of a braid to cling to, so that even in sleep, the little one knows they are not alone.
âNo, ime, thatâs victory. Our first victory, in our new home. You should be proud.â
She leans her head against his leg, just for a moment, allows herself to be the child he calls her, just for one more moment. âIâm mostly tired,â she admits, quietly.
âThen sleep. Iâll watch you, and your little one, Tama Rheyah,â he says, and this time, she believes him. It is harder, suddenly, to feel so constantly afraid, when she is now the protector of the smallest, most fragile part of the body they all share, when she feels their birdlike heartbeat against her own, and their tiny fingers, wrapped tight around her braid. She must be safe, because she would never bring anything so precious into danger.
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Kubide and Saar finally introduce Solas to the Valo-Kas, and after some good-natured hazing, Saar asks him to participate in their ritual of painting each otherâs vitaar. Solas agrees, in spite of how much this reminds him of darker aspects of his history. This is how they welcome family home, and he wants to be a part of it.
But sometimes, the past casts a long shadow, and coming home is messy.
4.6k, dragon age inquisition, solas/adaar^2
family bonding, vitaar painting, hurt/comfort
on AO3
more #trio au, once again co-written by @wanderingnork and me. this oneâs Feelsy, folks ;^;
Just a small drabble about a Valo Kas dwarf meeting a pretty dwarf
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
V walks alongside Athena down the winding forrest path. Her eyes were fixed on the Qunari's back, ignoring the other dwarf bemoaning every part of the journey. The way Athena carried herself was... was wrong. Her shoulders were stiffer than they should be and her gait was much longer. V found herself having to try to keep up as they followed a scout to the camp.
The reminder that they were here made her blood boil. Damn Andrastians. Forcing her friend to be some supposed prophet just days after she found out her brother was gone, along with half their ranks. It was disgusting and V had half a mind to tell them so.
Athena may be a mercenary but she had a good heart. Too good for her own good. Its why she needed the rest of them. Needed to keep her level headed. But with half of them gone and fanatics often swarming the Qunari the remaining Valo Kas was often drowned out. More than once V had noticed Athena never return to her bed and instead work through the night to help those who simply wanted to use her.
The group came to a stop at the camp and V remained focused on her friend. Her commander. She was roused from her thoughts however by a womans voice.
"The Herald of Andraste! Ive heard the..."
V didnt hear the rest of the sentence, her heart pounding in her chest as she layed eyes on quite possibly the prettiest dwarf she had ever seen her eyes went from her freckles to her eyes to the way she carried herself. The Valo Kas could barely breathe from how beautiful the sight before her was.
She must have been staring because soon Athena was nudging her.
"Well? Are you going to introduce yourself?" Athena had a knowing quirk to her lips as V couldnt find her words and just looked at the scenery. This seemed to make the pretty dwarf nervous as she continued to speak with Athena. V couldnt even pay attention through the drumming in her ears. She couldnt believe how she was being. What was wrong with her? She was a mercenary not some young maiden!
It was later, as they walked through the woods that V found her words again.
"So... what was that scouts name?"
Athena couldnt help the laugh that escaped her, that deshyr chuckling as well.
"You really like her dont you?" Athena teases as V tries to look casual. "Harding. Scout Harding. Didnt catch her first name."
V made note to include that name in the reports she requested. Maybe she could find a reason to see her again.
//Â Kaaras is NOT a member of the Valo-Kas. For long term RP partners, they most likely know this (or for those who have read over Kaarasâ profile). I did have him in contact with them prior, but itâs easier to have Kaaras as a stand alone character without the ties to the Valo-Kas. So Iâd like to shed some light on his mercenary life.
When Kaaras was only five, he came into his magic. At the markets in Ferelden, a group of older kids began picking on him and chasing himâin an attempt to beat him up and most likely steal anything he had on his persons. While he was defending himself, Kaaras was backed into a corner and ended up using a force blast to knock them back.
Kaaras is a qunari, so he never would have been accepted into a Ferelden Circleâtheyâd rather have him hanged (or made Tranquil). However, Kaarasâ future trainer (Saarebas), saw the incident and made sure that the children didnât taddle on himâhow she did this was probably by scare tactics and threats to them before they could reach their parents, and the incident was never legally reported. Even if it was, most people were afraid to approach a family of qunari.
When this all happened, Kaaras was mortified and ran all the way home in tears. He had no idea what had happened, heâd just thought of pushing them back and it had happened, and he was freaking out. His mother and father had no idea how to deal with their child being a mage (considering they are TalâVashoth, only having fled the Qun when pregnant with Kaaras). Neither of them are mages, so they were out of their depth and element.
After a few days had passed, Saarebas knocked on their door and informed them that she had seen the incident, and let them know that Kaaras was safe from the lawâfor nowâbut he had to get his magic under control if they didnât want a repeat of what had happened. Aban and Anaan were desperate for help, and she knew this. They were a poor family that was struggling to make any coin off their farm. Saarebas knew that they could not offer her anything in return for her help, but she was a spiritual woman, and she saw something special when she saw Kaaras, and she believed that if well trained, he could be destined for great things. I should note that Saarebas is an exceptionally spiritual woman, one who actually spoke to spiritsâas well as reading tarot cards. What she saw in Kaaras was something, and she believed it. So she offered to help train him so he could gain control of his magic. In return, the Adaar family allowed her to stay in the barn if she was in the areaâas she worked as a mercenary and often crossed Southron Hills (the house was small and could barely house them all as was).
Her form was strict and harsh. She wasnât exactly a mean woman, but she wasnât nurturing either. Not in a soft way. She was far more the âtough loveâ kind of woman. But her training is what made Kaaras so disciplined in his magic, and in his will.
After Kaarasâ father died when he was 12, he promised heâd find the remaining man who attacked their home and bring him to justice. He knew Saarebas was a mercenary, and he asked her every day when could he join. It was his soul purpose. Eventually, Saarebas knew that she couldnât stop him, and said he was ready. If she could not take him under her wing, then he would go it alone, which she couldnât allow.
Her mercenary group was not the Valo-Kas, it was her own, named the Ash Ataash (to seek glory). Mostly it was with humans and elves no thanks to being in Ferelden. When there wasnât much coin going for them, they ended up moving to the Marches, in Kirkwall. Competition was fierce within the area, even though there was plenty of jobs going around. Kaaras (and any other qunari) was seen as an asset due to their strength and will to get things done. This meant the Ash Ataash stood out. After being approached by a very qunari orientated band (named the Ralshokra after the supposed death challenges), Saarebas accepted the offer for them to join. It gave them a chance to get work when it was already difficult for such a small band to get good jobs that paid well.
After a few years with them, the Ralshokra had gained a ruthless name for themselves, and Kaaras gained a lot of experience. He didnât always agree with what was happening and the jobs, but he understood that he was in need of coin to send back to his mother back on the farm.
When he was 24, Kaaras grew fond of one of the other members, Stenn (the former love of his life before Inquisition). Kaaras was in a messy place, and for years after his father died, heâd taken to alcohol as a crutch. Kaaras often drank himself into a stupor to try and take away the pain of his fatherâs death, as well as sharing a bed with others who approached him and wanted sex. He didnât have penetrative sex with anyone, in fact, his pride (and shame) stopped him from doing that, at least a part of what little pride he still had in himself. That and heâd always wanted to wait for that someone special. Kaaras has always been a romantic at heart.
Stenn stopped all of this. He was the absolute calm to Kaarasâ storm. He was kind, gentle, loving, and everything Kaaras really needed in a time of need. It was often just talking, staying up late with each other while on the road as everyone else slept. Eventually, it turned into a romance, but they took things very slow. Stenn wanted it to be slow for Kaaras, instead of all the quick paced running into things he was usually doing in trying to soothe his pains. It was also slow because of Kaarasâ lack of alcohol to give him confidence, not to mention the physical pain he could be in at times no thanks to his condition.
Gentle kisses soon became touches, and eventually they went further to being nude with one another, but never penetrative sex. When they were going to, they were interrupted, and the moment was pretty much stolen from them. It had taken all of Kaarasâ courage to get to that point, so it was smashed again, and it just never had time to grow once more as soon after, their band was under attack, and Saarebas ended up dying.
When Saarebas died, it put a huge strain on their romance, no thanks to Kaaras, determined to believe that the bad orders had gotten Saarebas killed. There were disagreements and bad tension, and in the end Kaaras made his decision: he left. Some of the Ralshokra went with him, in agreement that the leadership was too reckless. Stenn remained behind, in disagreement and rather set in his ways (he was a lot older than Kaaras). In a moment of angst, the both of them were far too stubborn and hurt to set aside their differences, and they parted. They never said that they had fallen in love with each other, and the bitterness from their parting kept them from saying it, however, Kaaras showed that he was thankful for everything his lover had ever done for him, and while hurt, they did not part on angry terms.
This was when Kaaras moved up to Starkhaven and thatâs where he started recruiting more men. He became the captain of the company and they settled there doing mercenary work for the next few years under the title of the Beres-taar (meaning âshieldâ). Kaaras devoted his life to this, to making better decisions, to letting go of his hate and unhappiness. This was his new goal.
The Beres-taar were quick to make a name for themselves, having some of the advantage of former Ralshokra members. Kaaras was a natural born leader, and with the mistakes of the former band heâd been in, he was determined to give his company a good and loyal name for the work they did. This eventually got the attention of nobles in the area, and they earned a decent living.
Eventually, their name was known enough in Starkhaven that they were suggested to aid with protecting the Divine during the peace talks. This was the first time Kaaras had ever run into the Valo-Kas. The only time Kaaras has ever taken part in knowing the company is via the peace talks. Kaaras was asked specifically by reputation and having previously worked with the Prince of Starkhaven and nobles. Kaarasâ company themselves are not overly large, but they are hard workers who are dedicated to their jobs. Numbers was a must, however, so Kaaras was fine when he got the news that another band would be accompanying them.
Both the Beres-taar and Valo-Kas went to the Conclave alongside one another, however, because the Valo-Kas was more well known thanks to more years of being in service, everyone assumes Kaaras was under their title. He wasnât, and he corrects EVERYONE who says he is and was, but this is why people assume heâs from the Valo-Kas in Inquisition.Â
During his travel back through Kirkwall, Kaaras and Stenn reunited, however, things had changed between them, and Kaaras had changed too much as a person to continue a romance. The events at the Conclave happened, and they were separated, Kaaras became the Herald and Stenn remained in Kirkwall.
Everything else is pretty much known to his timeline. :)
So, Kaaras is NOT a member of the Valo-kas and he never has been. The only time heâs been in contact with them was during the peace talks. Everything you see in Inquisition for the Valo-Kas missions pretty much isnât canon to Kaaras, however, he does keep in contact with them as thereâs no bad blood between them and they were both at the Conclave together.
I will do a meta on Kaarasâ life in Starkhaven another time, but this is why Kaaras is not a member of the Valo-Kas, but why some people assume he is, and that I wanted to at least stay true to parts of the canon, but also pull away from it.
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Sometimes I look at all the posts about the fate of clan Lavellan, and think âwhat about the Valo-Kas?â
Like maybe Iâm a romantic whoâs imagining something like the Chargers, but some of them did die at the Conclave. More in war table operations. Did Adaar lose friends? Love ones? Adoptive family? How many died?
Greeted by the eerie light of the ancient graveyard, I slowly began to become aware of the space I was in. A cockpit, some lost fighter adrift among the shattered remains of the accomplishments of a previous age. Cast out in the vastness of space I began to grow fearful.
Where am I? How did I get here? The thoughts raced through my mind but were quieted by the faint light of a small, floating orb.
âYouâre awake!â It exclaimed. âI knew there was something out here for me!â The small light excitedly flitted about the small hold. The faint voice that came from it seemed to soothe my troubled mind and I found myself smiling at itâs excitement.
At my smile it appeared to blink at me. âI finally found you,â it whispered. âI finally found my Guardian.â
âA Guardian?â I asked, voice coming to a hush alongside the little light. âIâm sorry, I donât even know where I am. What am I meant to be guarding?â
âThe Light,â it answers. It seems to shine brighter with this revelation. âAll Light. We need to get you out of here, let me see what I can do.â It blinked out of existence with a lingering distortion of faded light. I looked around and saw that it had re-appeared on the outside of the ship, a faint light beaming out from its center began to scan the ship.
After a few minutes it blinked back into the cockpit. âOk,â it said, âthis thing is pretty beat up, but I think thereâs just enough power to make the jump back to Earth.â
Earth.
I couldnât remember what that was.Â
âBut I canât really plan on where weâre going to land once we get there.â It centered itself before me, looking up at me with what I could only describe as an eye. âI donât know who you were before this, but itâs not going to be easy once we get there.â It looked down, its voice somehow taking on a sorrowful tenor. âI know itâs not the safest plan,â again it looked up at me, âbut now that weâre together I know nothing can stop us!â
The ship began to spark with power. The control panel stuttered and blinked to life, the engines slowly spinning to proper speed. The little light directed me, showing me which buttons and switches to bring the ship in the right alignment. Instinctively, I began to fall into familiar motions, my hands reaching for controls before the light guided me to them.Â
Earth was a thing beyond my memory, but this, this felt right.
With a final confirmation I punched in the coordinates the light had given me. The small ship lurched in the vastness of space unnaturally. There was no knowing how long it, I, had been abandoned out here. And like the ship there was something wrong with this second chance at life.
