Chapter Text
Mahari Lavellan leaned her head back on the tree trunk, drinking in the warming Rivaini sun and the breeze. While her bondmate helped the other hunters check over their bows and throwing spears, she supervised boiling pecans from their stores. When Evis finished his nap, they would be ready to remove from the fire to cool for shelling.
Her son snored softly in her lap, eyelashes fluttering as he dreamed. Cloudreach was fast approaching, and Evis would be joining the other children of the clan for lessons with the Hahren and Keeper in Bloomingtide. Mahari ran her fingers through Evis's curly black hair. He was growing quickly, his fourth name day only months off.
Maybe she should talk to Tamarel about returning their witherstalk supply to the clan's stores. She felt ready for another, and it had taken them about a year of trying before Evis was conceived. Keeper was already asking probing questions as it was, pointedly stating that at twenty seven, she should have more than one. As their Second, she was expected to have several children, hopefully mages-to-be. Keeper often harped on the fact that he was getting older, and Vhalandris, the First, had only managed to sire a single mage after five children. To maintain their ties with the other clans, they needed mage children to exchange.
After all, they were not as large as Lavellan. Lavellan could hide excess mages from nosy Templars who just happened upon the clan for trade prior to the Breach. Lavellan's Keeper now sat on the Wycome council, able to negotiate and truly make an impact for their clan. Things within the human Chantry seemed to have settled, but no one could say whether they would stay settled, or whether the newfound tolerance for mages would extend beyond their fellow humans and city elves.
Thinking about the Keeper's jealousy, or maybe disdain for her former clan made her head hurt. Creators knew he harped on it often enough. The warmth of the sun was soporific, and Mahari felt her own eyelids begin to shut. A nap sounded heavenly, especially since Evis would be ready to run around and play as soon as he woke up. Maybe she could close her eyes for a few minutes, at least.
"Mahari Lavellan." Keeper Efensal's voice cracked through the air, hard and angry.
She sat up with a start, waking Evis. "Keeper?"
Evis started crying, burying his face in her chest.
He waved a sheet of parchment at her, "Do you know what that cousin of yours has done? Who she has gotten herself entangled with?"
"Wait, what? Which cousin?" Mahari asked, but the knot in her stomach already told her. Fen'lath. Something had happened with Fen'lath. The last time he had been this angry, spat her clan name with such vitriol, was after news came to the clans about Wycome. How Lavellan had almost been wiped out because of her cousin. Her position as Inquisitor threatened all of them, in Keeper's eyes. They had ranted about how dangerous it was for their clan, with the ties they had because of Mahari and her parents, in front of everyone. Most of the clan hadn't looked at her the same since.
"Don't play with me, Mahari. What do you know? What has she told you?"
Mahari had never seen Efensal so angry. Spittle flew as he screamed, gathering in foam at the corners of their mouth. Evis's own screams upped in volume and pitch, fear making him try to squirm around her and away.
"Told me? You know I haven't heard from her since before-"
"Don't lie to me!"
"I'm not lying! Hush, da'len, it's okay, he's not angry at you." Mahari tried to calm Evis. She fought to keep her voice calm, even toned. Emphasize that Efensal was being unreasonable. "I haven't heard from Fen'lath since before the Breach opened. You know that, since any messages from her would be delivered to you first. Exactly the same as they were for the ten years before the Breach."
Keeper stood over her, ignoring Evis's fear while their chest heaved like a bellows. "I expel you, Mahari Lavellan, for the safety and security of the clan."
"But--! Why?!" Incredulous, she swallowed hard against the rush of bile in the back of her throat.
"That cousin of yours! Her paramour is the Dread Wolf! It is her duty to protect the People from the Dread Wolf, not bed him!"
Mahari's head spun. They had all heard the talk about Fen'lath's elven advisor, Solas. During the Arlathvhen that had taken place after the Inquisition had closed the Breach, delayed from when it should have taken place due to the Mage-Templar war, Deshanna had spoken about the man briefly. He had accompanied Fen'lath to Wycome to liberate the city from Duke Antoine. Mainly, she had spoken of her disdain for Solas abandoning Fen immediately in the aftermath of the Breach closure. Deshanna's descriptions of him made him sound so… bland. Nondescript, even. Completely unremarkable but for being a Dreamer. He was the Dread Wolf?
The Dread Wolf comes in humble guises…
"I had nothing to do with that! And he left her, they aren't even together anymore!"
Efensal ignored her, continuing at a volume that made her ears ring. "Your connection to her endangers us all! The Duke in Wycome tried to wipe out your clan because of her, how long do you think we'll be safe if the humans find out about you? After what happened at their Exalted Council?"
"What even happened? You can't—"
"I can, and I am. You have fifteen minutes. Tamarel," Mahari hadn't even noticed him behind the Keeper, shoulders hunched in and avoiding looking at her, "take your son to your parents' aravel and make sure she leaves."
"I'm not leaving Evis behind!" Mahari grabbed for her son as Tamarel swung the screaming boy up and away, her fingers slipping off the silky weave of his halla wool leggings. "No, please! Tam, say something. Do something!"
"Mahari… don't make this difficult." Tamarel kept his eyes on their son in his arms. "Just do what he says. I'll keep my son safe."
She was stunned to silence. His son. Already acting as if she had no part in Evis's existence.
Not a word in defense. He'd just… rolled over and was letting Keeper expel her. Like the years spent together, the child they had together meant nothing. "Tam-"
He turned without another word, shoulders hunched in and walked away with Evis still wailing in his arms. Mahari watched him go, until he disappeared between the aravels. He didn't look back, not once.
"What about my parents?"
Efensal sniffed, "They aren't the ones who kept the familial ties strong and sent letters every other fortnight. They are welcome to stay."
"Have you even told them you're expelling me?"
The Keeper's eyes darted away. He hadn't.
"You will leave them be, keep them out of this. Your time is wasting, Mahari Lavellan. Get what you can carry and leave, or I will have the hunters sic the dogs on you."
Salt burned Mahari's eyes. She clenched her jaw, stood and ground out, "You wouldn't dare, Keeper."
"Go."
Mahari spun towards the aravel she shared— had shared with Tamarel for the past eight years. The slam of the door into the wall was muffled by the possessions stuffed in the small, cozy space. Cooling trails burned in the wake of the tears dripping down her cheeks.
One pack for rations and two water skins, one full, one mostly full.
One pack for basic clothing. Extra foot wraps, smalls, breast-bands, some shirts and leggings.
A hip bag with medicinal herbs and hygienic supplies.
A warm cloak big enough to wrap up in to sleep.
She hesitated, then dug under the bed, moving bundles of stored summer clothing out of the way until her fingers brushed against the heavy chest shoved against the aravel's back wall. Mahari pulled it out, quickly found a pouch and shoved fistfuls of coins into it indiscriminately. At least twenty gold, a fair amount of silver, majority copper.
"Five minutes, Mahari." Serallen, one of the hunters, leaned in. His voice was gentle. "Is there anything I can help you gather up?"
"I'd prefer if you talked some sense into your grandpapae instead," she shot over her shoulder.
Mahari stood on the foot of the bed to reach the shelf above it. The keepsake box with treasures Evis had found that she was saving for him went in the final pack, along with the bag of coins.
He sighed. "You know he doesn't listen to me. Or anyone, once he's settled on something."
Stubborn. Certain that they were right, ready to lash out at anyone who dared question a verdict. Same as always.
"Just.. let my parents know the real reason I've been expelled, whatever he tells them. Tell Evis-" Her voice broke, heart clenched against the thought that she wouldn't see her son again, "Tell Evis I love him more than anything. That I didn't do this willingly."
"I will."
"Maybe punch Tamarel if you get the chance."
"Absolutely." A hint of a smile raised the corners of his mouth. Mahari had to turn away from the pity in his eyes.
She reached into the pack with the keepsake box, pulled out a rock, worn smooth with a natural groove in it. A gift, Mamae. Mahari put it in her breast-band next to her heart, hungry for something of her son's to rest against her skin. Packs closed tight and strapped to her back and chest, she whirled the cloak over her shoulders and grabbed her staff, then looked up.
Their bonding knot was above the doorway, nailed there the day she had bonded with Tamarel. It was supposed to be buried with whichever one of them passed last, a way for their souls to find each other in the Beyond. She would rather wander the Void for eternity alone than see him again. Mahari used the end of her staff to scrape the knot off the nail, then picked it up from the floor. She stomped over to their bed.
A burst of flame and smoke, and she smeared the ashes all over Tamarel's pillow.
He made a jellyfish look like it had a spine.
Serallen put his hand on her shoulder as she moved to exit. "Head south along the coast for two days. The coast should start heading west, keep going south into the forest. Once you hit the coast again, follow it east to Dairsmuid. Get passage on a ship to Wycome. I can't see Deshanna agreeing with this."
"No. You're right. But why east to Dairsmuid? Wouldn't Ayesleigh be closer?"
"The Seekers are returning en masse, according to that letter Grandpapae got. It's just rumor, but why risk it?"
"Right."
"Also, stay in the tree line while you're following the coast. The scouts spotted Vint galleys out off the peninsula a few days ago."
Mahari swallowed against the ringing in her ears. "Right. Thanks."
"Mahari Lavellan!" The Keeper's voice rose outside the aravel. She rushed out the aravel door, brushing past Keeper towards the break in the trees where she could make out the sliver of the Venefication Sea on the horizon.
Stay in the treeline. South for two days, then into the deep forest until she hit the coast again. East to Dairsmuid. Get a ship to Wycome. Deshanna would take her in. She had to. Mahari kept a pace that made her lungs burn, matching the salt burning her eyes.
At the edge of the treeline overlooking the beach, she stopped and turned to look back. She could just make out the bright colors of the aravel sails, the wisps of smoke from the cooking fires. Mahari let out the sob she'd been holding in and dropped to her knees, a screaming wail ripped from her.
When the storm inside her broke, Mahari stood up, letting the ocean breeze dry her cheeks. She looked up at the sun, aimed herself south, and started walking. Stay in the treeline. South for two days, then into the deep forest until she hit the coast again. East to Dairsmuid. Get a ship to Wycome. Her time in Rivain had ended.