The Dalish Warden (The Daughters of Thedas Book 1)

21: Trapped in the Fade

Soundtrack:

Requiem for the Nameless Dead ~ Adrian von Ziegler (The Fade)

When I awoke I found myself in the araval I shared with my family. What an odd dream I'd had. I stood and went outside.

Braylyn jumped on my back. "About time you got up, sleepyhead," she said before planting a kiss on my cheek.

My mother smiled. "Good morning, sweetheart."

I kissed her cheek. "Good morning, Mother."

"How did you sleep?"

"I had the oddest dream last night. I dreamt I was a Grey Warden."

"A Grey Warden? Now, why would a Dalish join with the Shemlen?"

"I don't know. Like I said, it was an odd dream." No Dalish would join the Wardens, would they? Something was tugging against the back of my mind.

"You look disturbed."

"Have you seen Tamlen? In the dream, he was lost."

"Check his araval. I believe he was with Ashalle."

I went in search of my best friend. As I looked for him, that strange tugging kept on. It had been a dream, right? I felt someone playing with my hair and turned around to Tamlen's smiling face. "Are we to go hunting today?" he asked.

"Of course. You know I love to hunt."

"Don't I! You know you're the better Hunter anyway."

"You're too modest."

Then I saw my father walk towards us, his staff in his hand. I frowned. What trick was this? My father was dead. I was told he and my brother had been slain by Wild Sylvans.

Tamlen's face looked worried. "Are you alright?"

"Something isn't right..." I responded.

"What? Are you a Mage all of a sudden?"

"Shut up."

Something didn't feel right. I knew my father was dead. He had died when I was five years old. Duncan. The name came into my mind. Where did that come from? Who was Duncan?

"What is bothering you, my daughter?" my father asked.

"Something doesn't seem right, Father," I frowned. I couldn't put my finger on it. I turned towards Tamlen. The mirror. Alistair. Ostagar. Alistair! Where was Alistair? Everything came flooding back. I looked back at my father. "This isn't real."

"No, it's not, Realin."

I blinked. "What?"

"Follow your gut."

My gut was telling me this wasn't real. This wasn't my clan. And this wasn't Tamlen. I turned to the Tamlen imposter. "You died of the Darkspawn taint."

Tamlen laughed. "Realin, you've been listening to Hahran Paivial's stories again," he said.

I didn't know where I was or who this was, but I knew this was not the Brecillian Forest and this was not my best friend. I wasn't sure if this was my father, but he was not trying to deceive me. "No," I said. "Both of you are dead. I am a Grey Warden. None of this is real."

Tamlen became angry. "You are willing to turn your back on your clan, Realin? On me?"

"You are not my clan, impostor. You taint the memory of Tamlen. Be gone!"

The two suddenly shifted their stances. Tamlen drew his sword. I had to tell myself that this was not Tamlen. My father protectively stepped forward. My father or not, it was aiding me. I drew my own blades as the Tamlen impostor attacked. I knew every trick in Tamlen's book. This impostor didn't. I crossed my blades as his sword came down upon me. I disengaged and spun around him, bringing my sword down across his back. The Tamlen impostor cried out and swung. I bent backward to avoid his blade. I twisted and blocked a hit to my abdomen. He tried again and the blade bounced off mine and sliced into the inside of my left arm just above the elbow. I grunted and retreated back. My father sent a blast of magic at Tamlen, knocking him back. He recovered and charged. I brought my right blade down, spun around to where my back was to him, and then stabbed my left blade through his back. The Tamlen impostor cried out and fell to his knees. I beheaded him with the right blade. I pulled my blade free, then fell to my knees. I looked at my arm. The cut wasn't deep, but it needed tended to. I reached for my pack, only to discover it was missing. The treaties! Who would take them?