Chapter Text
Ellana paced anxiously back and forth, leaving a noticeable dent in the snow. The makeshift camp for the survivors of Haven only a few meters away behind, except she was too restless to lick her wounds. Knowing every moment out there, her cousin Kayla was fighting for her life....alone. Praying that her arrowed signal was seen and her cousin made it out.
But not much could survive an entire mountain of snow and ice. If only she stayed. If only she insisted Kayla follow right away. If only that stupid templar didn’t let Kayla face death alone.
Another what if regret added onto the pile.
“She'll make it. She's tough like you.”
Arms wrapped themselves around her, pulling her tightly against the warm chest of her husband.
“I should be out there. Out there finding her, except here I am doing nothing.” Ellana said solemnly, gently beating her fists against Fenris' chest. “Kayla is somewhere; cold, hurt and terrified but I'm here twiddling my damn thumbs.”
“I know...and I'd be out there too.” Fenris replied, holding his wife close. “But if we wander out there aimlessly, it will only add to it. The scouts that know the mountains better are doing their best.”
“Vhenan...I'm just so tired and angry. Why do I keep having to lose my family to shem causes or ignorance. My father, uncle, brother...and now Kayla.” Ellana felt a few tears staining the leathered chest. “None of them deserved it.”
Fenris didn't know what to say to calm her. What could he say? He lost all of his family as well except for Ellana and Kayla...and he struggled with the fact that the later one might not survive. That Ellana would have another mark on her soul.
'Please...whatever god or being is up there. Bring Kayla home.' He mumbled to himself.
Cold.
So…cold…
So tired…
Get up, little star.
But only one person ever called her that. Right? So long ago.
It hurt too much for Kayla to even open her eyes let alone get up. The strange voices repeated, over and over, for her to stand. With all her will power, green eyes opened. It took a moment of blurry vision to reveal that the surroundings was a long abandoned mineshaft. Across the way towards a stairway, stood a ghostly figure of a red haired elf, holding out his hand to beckon Kayla.
Pape?
Finally getting on her knees, the mage blinked painfully, confused as the vision faded. Her injuries must have been worse than she thought if she was seeing people that couldn’t be there, but for some reason it gave enough energy to stand.
Kayla shivered violently as she forced her way through the mine, her entire body screamed at her with every step. Armor ripped and shattered, leaving skin exposed to the freezing air. For once she wished she wasn’t an ice mage, her mana was drained from fighting Corypheus. Adding to the fact that her marked hand throbbed, like needles through her veins. Whatever that monster did, the mark continued to build pressure.
However, it was the echoing shrieks up ahead that concerned her. It was more demons. Kayla knew she couldn't fight in this condition but it was the only chance for a way out. Around the corner in another room, moonlight beamed from the other side. Though two robed demons hovered in the way, then they saw her.
Lift your hand.
Before the despair demons could respond, time slowed. Kayla's hand lifted as if it had a mind of its own, forming a large rift-like orb above the demons. Tendrils lashed out, wrapping the creatures in sickly green and pulling them into the orb to explode in light.
Kayla breathed heavily and fell to her knees. The energy used weakened her in a cold chill, but at least the anchor wasn't throbbing anymore. She was far from the mindset of understanding what happened. She couldn’t stop, for if she did she would die. Alone, in the middle of nowhere but at least the rest could get out. Right? Her sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.
Once outside, in the distance, just beyond the ridge the red head swore she saw the remains of a campfire. Kayla rushed forward as best as she could but it brought a sense of dread by the fact that it was cold and partially covered by snow. The elf fell to her knees, only sinking further in. She wasn’t sure how much she’d last as blood ran into her eye but she had no energy to create a spark let alone heal the wound. What potions she had gone or broken in the fall.
Da'len, get up…
“But I can’t. It’s so c-cold and it hurts…” Kayla mumbled to the wind, crumpling over as she started crying. Tears forming frosty streaks down her cheeks that blurred her vision, forcing them closed. Two thoughts kept repeating in the back of my mind. That she would never see her family again and…
Cullen.
His gentle smile, his awkward laugh, their talks when they couldn’t sleep. The way his hair shined in the sun with messy curls, his brown eyes, The kiss.
The way she would never get to tell him properly how he made her heart flutter. How his friendship comforted her. How much she wished she told him how she felt beyond a hurried kiss…
That only made her sobs harsher, Creators, why? Even her final fate was out of her control. Why was she never allowed a choice…
Da'len, get up…This isn’t where your story ends. Get up!
Kayla opened her eyes painfully as small crystals formed along her eyelashes. It took a moment to see that the tree to her right had a formation of a crude symbol made from a dagger or knife. On closer inspection, Kayla realized it was a Dalish hunter mark Ellana must have left behind. The direction it pointed to was a path between two rock sides. Did her cousin leave breadcrumbs for her to follow?
Ellana...Hal…thank you…
Maybe there was hope.
With great effort, the elf got to her knees and headed towards the path, stumbling through the hip level snow once more.
Several more hours passed, at this point it felt like forever, as Kayla forced herself to continue on. There were more camp remains and notched symbols, but even with that hope, the travel was hard. Kayla was running on fumes, as well as most of the feeling in her limbs or face gone. Ice draped her scarlet hair like a twisted crown, emerald eyes near lightless.
Kayla was ready to give up at this point, her body pushed past its breaking point. Then she saw it. The faint orange light over the horizon.
Fire? People?
“There she is!”
“Da’len!”
The elf struggled to comprehend if it was just an illusion of her injuries or real and she had found someone. Dark forms dashed forward, yelling words that she could barely hear. Before she could fall face first into the snow, strong and warm arms caught her. Kayla couldn’t even look up who it was, lost in the sensation of fur and cloth.
Sandalwood.
“You’re safe now…”
“C-cullen…I…I…”
Then Kayla was lost to the abyss, not fully realizing it was the Commander who carried her to the camp with Ellana at his heels.
