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“They are here!” the children cheer, jumping up and down, looking back and forth from their parents standing at the door to the two figures approaching in the distance, well visible among the tall trees and the vibrant green and red of the bushes and plants.
“Mamae, Papae, they are here!”
Without waiting for their parents’ suggestion, Fenor and Ashera dash on the path that leads from their house to the forest that surrounds it. Only their uncles and aunts know how to come here, using the right eluvians, but there are other two people who know that as well.
“Grandma! Grandpa!”
Many years have passed, but the two Dalish elves have not changed much: there are more white streaks in their hair, more wrinkles on their faces now bare of vallaslin, but they still stand strong, life and energy shining in their eyes.
Athim drops on his knees and opens wide his arms: he never scowls when he is around his nephew and niece. The only facial muscles he moves when he is with them are those of his mouth, which is now curled into the biggest, brightest smile ever.
“My little leaves!”
He smooches their faces, hugging them fiercely, as his wife Nehn crouches on the ground waiting for her turn, a happy, patient grin on her round face.
“Now, now, Athim!” she says. “Let me kiss them too!”
The children throw their arms around her and, after receiving her dose of kisses, raspberries on the cheek, and more pecks on the nose, they pull away and bounces on their bare feet.
“How was your journey?” Fenor, the older brother, asks, always polite and respectful. He doesn’t ask what they keep in their bags, but his blue eyes - the same color as Solas’ - shift to them once in a while.
His sister Ashera is bolder than ever instead and asks Nehn, taking her hand and moving excitedly, unable to stay still: “Did you walk a lot? Did you see many villages and cities? Did you bring us something?”
“Yes, da’len, we brought you something beautiful.” the woman giggles, kissing her unruly hair. No matter how many times Scarlet and Solas braid it, she always manages to have the ribbons loosened.
“How are things at home?” Athim asks as they head back to the little, cozy house. Solas and Scarlet are still waiting for them and he lowers his voice to avoid being heard: “Is everything alright?”
“Athim!” Nehn glares at him, but the children laugh and don’t seem bothered by the question at all, most likely because they didn’t understand what he meant.
Ashera, who is holding Nehn’s hand, answers innocently: “Mamae sewed other clothes for us and Papae completed the frescoes in our rooms!”
Fenor didn’t get all the implications, but realizes what his grandfather was referring to, more or less, so he adds with a cheerful grin: “They kiss a lot every day. Sometimes, when they think we can’t see them, Papae whispers something in Mamae’s ear and she laughs and blushes.”
Years ago, Athim would have frowned at that, but now he just chuckles and squeezes his nephew’s hand, saying with sincerity: “That sounds good. I’m glad.”
They have reached the house and Scarlet steps forward to hug and kiss her parents. They visit often, but this time six whole months have passed since their last visit. Things at Wycome have been busy and even with the eluvians active and providing a perfect way to travel fast, they couldn’t find the chance to come sooner.
Nehn hugs Solas and presses a loud kiss on his cheek, before letting the children push her inside the house. They want her to see the new clothes and plushes Mamae made and Scarlet follows them after pulling away from her father’s arms.
Solas and Athim are alone now.
Things aren’t as awkward as years ago, even though the Dalish warrior had a hard time trying to wrap his head around the fact that his daughter’s mate was the Dread Wolf and his Orb had caused her to lose her arm.
Still, mutual respect has grown between the two elves and Solas greets him with a kind smile and a small bow of his head, both of which Athim returns.
“Did you have a pleasant journey?” Solas asks, motioning him to enter before him. “I know the Crossroads are quite crowded this time of the year.”
“They are always crowded.” Athim chuckles, entering the cozy house. “The merchants and messengers love using them.”
As always, he looks around, a deep sense of pride filling him at the sight of this house. Not just because it’s beautiful and tidy, but also because it speaks of domesticity, of a life built together in a place full of love, a place nobody can’t take away from his daughter and her husband.
He notices some more books in the bookshelves and a new quilt in front of the fireplace where the family spend the evening together; there are new frescoes and paintings on the walls, even on the ceiling, and cute plushes of animals and colored pillows are in every corner of the house.
Now that they don’t have the Inquisition and world-ending plans to worry about anymore, Scarlet and Solas are free to focus on their interests and it’s evident they have been keeping themselves busy, using their talents for their children too.
“We should have something warm and good to drink.” Solas says, heading to a cabinet in the large and warm kitchen. “Scarlet also prepared a cake.”
“I will gladly accept both, thank you.”
Athim observes him move around the kitchen with ease: first he takes four cups, then changes his mind and adds other two. He rummages into another cabinet and takes out a small pot which makes a funny sound, as if it’s full of grains.
“Cocoa.” he explains with a smile noticing Athim’s curiosity. “A gift from the Iron Bull.”
There are stains of paint on his simple sweater and loose threads are sticking out of his pants. Scarlet sewed two cute wolves on his sleeves and Athim snorts.
This is the man who married his daughter and had two wonderful kids with her.
This is the Dread Wolf, Fen’Harel.
He laughs harder and Solas turns to him, raising an eyebrow and looking rather perplexed.
“Is... everything alright, hahren?”
Athim nods, still laughing, and before Solas can ask him what happened, Fenor and Ashera rush into the kitchen to show their grandpa the clothes Mamae made for them - “There are wolves on them!” - and the frescoes Papae painted on the walls of their room.
“I am coming, little ones, I am coming!” Athim keeps laughing, letting them tug at his clothes. He follows them wherever they want him to go and compliments all their stuff, a huge smile splitting his face in half.
They have grown much, his little leaves: Fenor is timid and quiet like his mother, but he can see parts of Solas - like his acumen - shine through him too. Ashera always speaks her mind, just like her father, but the way she wants to know more and discover the world reminds him a lot of Scarlet.
Athim and Nehn give them their presents: a book of tales in Elvhen, splendidly decorated and illustrated, and two boxes of sweets from Wycome.
Then they bring them out in the forest to admire the vastness and beauty of it and practice with the bow, while Scarlet and Solas remain in the house to prepare dinner.
They don’t hit the animals because “Mamae and Papae said they are our friends and we live all together here”, so they just shoot at trees or rocks. Athim is patient and whispers advices and instructions while Nehn cheers and claps her hands when they hit their mark.
They sit near a river and eats the tasty meal Nehn kept in her bag; Ashera jumps in the low water, soaking the hem of her dress, but she looks so happy and carefree the two old elves don’t have the heart to tell her to stop.
Fenor stays with them on the bank and listens intently as Nehn tells him what’s currently happening in Wycome, how things are going, how many things have changed since his last visit. He is curious about the different races and people that live there, about the various cultures and styles that can be found and seen in the Free Marches.
Athim keeps an eye on Ashera, because she definitely wants to get wet up to her neck today. She is looking for pebbles in the water and he gets up with a chuckle, enters the river and starts helping her.
“This one?”
“Not shiny!”
“This one then.”
“The color isn’t right!”
Once they have finally found what she needs, they bring all the pebbles to Nehn and Fenor and the old woman gasps and beams at the children, saying that she knows how to make necklaces with them. They just need some soft, long sticks, pieces of bark, and strands of grass.
So they get to work all together and even though Athim and Ashera fumble with their stones and can’t quite get it right at first, the final results are great and the children wear them proudly.
These are his daughter’s children. These are the Dread Wolf’s children and they are the most marvelous people he has ever met.
And even though he was scared at first, scared of that name, of that title, of the stump that replaced Scarlet’s left arm, now he isn’t anymore and sees only love where his old Dalish teachings used to tell him there should be only treachery and venom.
He sniffles, pushing back his tears, and Nehn’s thumb rub on his knuckles, her red and gray head resting against his shoulder as they walk towards the house.
They hear giggles coming from inside and when Athim and Nehn peek into the kitchen, they see Solas nuzzling Scarlet’s neck and whispering sweet things in her ear. She giggles again, hiding her face into his shoulder, and he laughs, lulling her in his strong embrace.
Athim wonders how he could possibly have doubted the strength of their love.
After showing their parents the necklaces, the children ask to hear more stories: so they sit in front of the fireplace, dinner ready and warm in their plates, and the two old elves start, making the children topple over in laughter with their jokes or widening their eyes and hearts with descriptions of their adventures, back when they were young and the world was so, so much different.
It’s late when the kids finally fall asleep, Fenor snoring on his grandfather’s leg, Ashera cuddled on her grandmother’s lap. Scarlet and Solas pick them up - Athim still have to get used to Scarlet’s ability in doing so even with one arm only - and bring them to their rooms.
He watches as his daughter and her husband tuck the kids under warm blankets with wolves sewn on them, surrounded by the colorful frescoes on the walls. He watches as they kiss their foreheads, whisper wishes of good dreams and Solas uses his magic to ensure they are protected in their sleep and in the endless paths of the Fade. He watches as they slip the children’s favorite plush or toy into their arms and smile at them with adoration.
This is what his daughter accomplished, more precious than any land, castle or alliance she got during her time as Inquisitor.
This is her greatest victory, he thinks as he watches Solas turn to her and smile with adoration.
He and Nehn give their goodnight kiss to the children as well, then he waits for the right moment to approach Solas. He doesn’t want to embarrass him, but he doesn’t want to wait any longer either - he waited long enough to say this, too much in fact.
So when Scarlet and Nehn go prepare the guest room for the night, Athim goes near his son-in-law, who is busy tidying up the space in front of the fireplace, and rests a hand on his shoulder.
“Lethallin.” he says with a big smile as Solas jumps and stares at him with wide eyes. “I am proud of you.”
He squeezes his shoulder and his smile grows at the sight of Solas’ pink ears and cheeks. There is a dumbfounded and happy look on his face and Athim chuckles, then steps away, nods, and goes to his wife and his daughter before things get too emotional and they start crying like two old fools.
He says goodnight to Scarlet with a tight hug and a kiss on the head, then joins Nehn in the guest room, on their large bed. They still have to get used to those, but they have to admit this one is very comfortable. It smells like home.
They hear soft voices coming from Scarlet and Solas’ room, then muffled joyful laughter and they know this is good, that this is how things were always supposed to be since from the beginning, that this is where their daughter belongs.
And they couldn’t be happier.