Trespasser spoilers. I couldn't resist writing Solas and Lavellan after what happened. You have been forewarned. Enjoy!
Part 1
Adessa Lavellan stalked the forest. Her bow, nocked with an arrow, was held poised and taunt ready to be fired at a moment's notice. Light filtered through the trees casting speckled spots of shadow across the forest floor giving her just enough light to see in the dense vegetation. She moved like she was a part of the forest. Her feet silent on the dried leaves and brush gathered on the ground. Birds flitted in the branches above her head, chirping and chattering in their sweet high voices. Gossiping, no doubt about the visitor in their home. Smaller animals scurried about in the underbrush. A rabbit quick as lightening flashed out from a blackberry bush. Adessa didn't bother to shoot at it. Instead she watched the grey and white blur disappear under another bush.
This was were she was most at home. In the forest by herself surrounded by nature's beauty. Adessa was freer in those moments than any other time in her life. Rarely was she allowed the privilege to hunt alone. It wasn't that she couldn't, but it was common practice and for safety reasons her clan deemed at least two hunters were together at all times. The problem was...she didn't like hunting with anyone else. They were too noisy or wanted to chat. She didn't want that. She wanted to hunt, or she wanted the quiet. The peace solitariness brought was what truly drew her into the woods.
Today, she hunted because she had argued with another hunter, Toran, about the shem traders visiting their camp. Toran had claimed the shems were trying to cheat them. He had gone as far as to say it right in front of the shems and the craftsmen, Zira and Kiln. She had grabbed Toran by the arm, but the younger hunter had pulled away mouthing off to her in the process. She had done the only thing she could think of to save face and keep the others in line. She had punched him in the face. Her temper might have played a part too. A small part.
Nose bleeding, Toran had ran to the Keeper. And like a child, told on her. Even after explaining the situation, the Keeper had told her to go cool her head in the woods for a while.
The woods around her grew still. Adessa stopped. Keeping her breathing even, her eyes darted around. A stream with crystal clear water glittered a few feet in front of her.
A black wolf stared at her from the other side of the water. Its smoky grey eyes haunted as it watched her. She raised her bow taking aim at the creature. The wolf didn't move. It just continued to stare at her, its eyes boarding into her. She could feel those eyes like tiny silver knives digging into her flesh and soul. Her heart ached, a hollow dull pain she had felt for these past two and half years. A pain that was familiar, deep, and sad.
Adessa blinked. "This is a dream." She whispered. Realization dawned on her as she lowered her bow. In the waking world, she couldn't shoot her bow, not anymore. And this wolf...it...no, he, hadn't been a part of that day. She had killed a deer drinking from the stream that day. Not a wolf. And she knew it was male, just like she knew that sad haunted look in its silvery eyes.
"Solas?" she breathed. Hope blossomed in her chest. Was he truly here in her dream? Was he watching her dreams? "Solas," She called a little louder, her voice breaking on his name. Was it him or just her mind toying with her because she missed and feared for him?
The wolf turned away from her moving into the brush.
"Solas! Wait!" She chased after him leaping across the stream. Her feet landed in the soft dirt of the other side. "Please, don't go. I..." She knew it was him. She couldn't explain how or why she knew. She just did. It was instinctual. She needed to talk to him. She had to convince him. His plans were wrong. His goals were worthy, but his plans...
She burst through the underbrush plowing ahead with no thought of how the brambles and thorns grabbed at her clothes and ripped at her skin. She didn't care. She ran on hoping to see a catch a glimpse of black fur or shiny metal armor peeking out of the growth in front of her. Nothing.
She ran for what seemed like hours until she remembered this was a dream. She skid to a halt. Adessa would never catch the Dread Wolf in his domain.
Tears of frustration and fear clawed their way out of her eyes to race down her bare cheeks. "Vhenan, please, come back to me."