Notes

The tall trees loomed over us, the shelter they provided to all our refuge, my hands sat upon my companions hips, holding them gently as his lips brushed against mine. We had been like this for quite some time, I leant up against the thick bark of an old tree, one of his arms lent against the tree by my head, the other holding my side.

I opened my eyes, taking a breath from the kiss and looking into his crystal blue eyes
“We are meant to be hunting” I said with a chuckle, weakly trying to push his hips from mine
“Hunting can wait” he replied, he moved his face to my neck where he nuzzled gently, not letting my halfhearted pushes move him,
“Make a mark and I’ll get in huge trouble,” I warned, closing my eyes and resting my head on his short dust blonde hair.
“Aww come on, the clan already know about us, what’s to hide?” Tamlen asked,
“I’m supposed to be here to keep you on track!” I stated, Tamlen sighed and looked up at me, his bewitching blue eyes pouting at me. I relented. with an over-exaggerating sigh, I tilted my head to bare my neck for him. Tamlen beamed like a puppy, pulling me into a tighter hug and kissing my exposed neck.
“I want them all to know your mine! Fenrel has been eyeing you again” he mumbled quietly. I scoffed, closing my eyes one more as Tamlen held to me.

A crunch and a snap from the undergrowth behind the tree I leaned against caught my attention, my ears pricked and my feline-esk eyes shot open, I straightened up, Tamlen flinched,
“What’s wr-“ I silenced him, consentrating on the sounds around me,
“We are not alone” I said in a harsh whisper
Tamlen scowled
“Not our clan” he noted, looking to where the retreating sound fled
“Let’s hunt” I quipped, launching myself towards the sounds, Tamlen suit behind.

Three humans, dressed in mud stained and wrecked garments, bolted through the thick pathways of the forest. The first, a fit, dark man in blue, leapt down a small ledge, landing uneasily on the overgrown dirt track below. Two more followed, the third picking to run east and take the lead in their terrified scramblings.

Travelling through the thick forest and dense plant life was easy for me, and I soon caught sight of our prey. I dropped weightlessly onto the path they had just used, quietly following after them. The humans cornered themselves, the ledge above them was only six or so meters tall, and a thick root made for easy climbing. So I guess they weren’t trapped, but in a tactically disadvantaged placement.

I dropped from the tree I stood in, knocking an arrow to my bow I pointed it at the humans.
“Your not wanted here Shemlen” I warned, the humans whipped around to face me, terror in their eyes
“W-we mean no harm!” One stuttered throwing his hands up instinctively,
“We didn’t even know this ‘‘twas your forest!” Another pleaded, backing up to the ledge behind them in fear
“Our forest?” Tamlen scoffed, pointing his bow down at the humans as he stood a top the overhang. The humans looking up in fear.
“No, this is not our forests, you simply stumbled to close to our camp” he continued, arrow pointing towards the group
“Bandits no doubt” I mumbled, Tamlen leapt gracefully across the distance between us and joined me, we remain fixated on the shemlen before us, arrows pit to fly.
“What do you say Lethallin? What do we do with them?” Tamlen asked, turning his gaze to me briefly. I hesitated, weighing my options quickly.

Shemlens, or humans, drove us from our homes long ago, sending our race into many years of slavery and taking our cultures from us. Now, only the Dalish remember the old ways, the ways of ancient Arlathan. Humans hated us, we hated them, never allowed a home, not even in the far wretches of the world no Shem would live. We are hunted, for slaves and for game. The Elvhenan lost everything.

“Kill them, the others won’t care” I ordered, only seconds in my delay.
“I like the sounds of that” Tamlen cooed,
“Wait please!” A Shem cried, dropping to its knees in the dust before us. Groveling before us in desperate pleas of mercy. I smiled, as Tamlen spoke
“What say you in your defence?”
“We didn’t come here for trouble!” It begged, the second piped up, nodding at the firsts words
“W-w-we found a cave!” It stammered.
I rolled my eyes, turning my bow to the second Shemlen in agitation,
“There are no caves here, you lie” I snapped, Tamlen looked to the third, desperately fishing in its pants pockets
“We have proof! Look, we found this outside the entrance!” It said, the only female Shem in the group. Tamlen lowered his bow and took the item, pulling back before any moves could be made.

In his hand sat a stone, it was of a purple hue and smooth a large chunk of it broken off, as if it was but half of a whole. Rivets of silver ran across the tablet, writing adorned the surface of the stone in brilliant silver, faded by time.

“Is that?” I asked, my words trailing off,
“Written Elvish?” Tamlen finished, turning the stone in his hand.
I looked up at the humans, they stood quietly, looking at us with fearful eyes,
“Where did you find that?” I asked

“To the east there is a cave, huge ruins and everything!”