Jaden Tahal; Dalish Elf and Grey Warden (tahal) wrote in thedas,
Jaden's eyes again found themselves fixed on the ocean outside of the window as Dee spoke. The waves, he had finally decided, were indeed comforting. Always constant and true, always moving. Only the shore could end their movement. "We didn't know. I mean, I'd read plenty about it in the past," he said, glancing over at her again. "But I didn't know the details. We couldn't prepare," he added, his hands clenching into fists almost against his will. "We couldn't prepare for it. You couldn't fight it. It was live or die, decided by some grand scheme beyond our realm." He'd seen so many strong and noble warriors fall. Men and women who had dedicated their lives to serving their fellow man. And yet he, a simple Dalish elf (and a bit of a punk one at that), lived while they died.
When she expressed that she was glad he'd lived, he gave her a curious look. They didn't know each other very well, and he still felt as though he had been a little too unkind during her time in the forest. He would have understood if she hadn't cared if he'd lived or died. He worked his mouth for a moment, trying to find the words. Finally he just looked down at the stone floor briefly before looking back at her. "Thank you. And I mean that. I guess only time will tell if this is an honour or a curse, I suppose. Who knows, right?" he said with the ghost of a smile.
He got the distinct feeling, when she looked up at him again, that she had something important to ask. And he wasn't wrong, as evidenced when she brought up the Templars who had been hunting the Dalish elves. He glanced out of the window for a moment. "We were hunted, yes. Well, Faer was hunted. But I swore to protect him, so here I am. I don't know if you've noticed, but he's not really the best with a sword," he added with a smirk. "The Templars caught up to us, and I'm fairly certain we'd be dead now if the Wardens hadn't come. We were recruited to save us from the Templars. Some noble start."