Twiblight: The Sparkling Turnabout
Twiblight Chapter Ten. One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight and Nine.)
Much to her chagrin, Bella was still following the large and cheerful mabari through the forest. She had run almost ten metres and was being to feel horrible pains in her ribs and spots began to dance through her vision like disco snowflakes on acid. The mabari sensed her exhaustion and skootched up under her feet, knocking her backward onto its back. Bella clung on to the dog with sheer desperation as the mabari raced through the forest.
Suddenly she found herself surrounded by tents and caravan thingies, the mabari had brought her into the Dalish camp without her even noticing. She half-slid, half-staggered from the large dog's back and sat on the grass panting until she could regain her breath. She looked around but the camp seemed deserted by elves.
"I guess there's no one here," she said to the mabari, which sneezed. Then suddenly she was surrounded by arrows pointing at her. Oh noes!
"The mabari breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark," a voice said. The mabari whined and Bella found her eyes drawn to the speaker. It was a handsome male Dalish, his golden tanned skin unmarred by any ugly tattoos, his hair ash blond, perfectly straight and impossibly long. His ears were delicately pointed and the entirety of him was so painfully beautiful Bella was struck dumb, well, more so than usual.
"Who are you and why are you trespassing on our lands with that... creature?" The beautiful elf asked.
"MynameisBellaAmellandIamafirstyearmageof theCircleTower," Bella said all in one breath, "I'mstudyingglyphswithaminorinarcanemagicandIhopesomedaytobecomeaspirithealer."
The elf raised one perfectly arched eyebrow, "And what is a Chantry Mage doing in the Brecilian Forest? You are long way from home, Bella Amell."
"I had some kind of magical... accident," Bella said, staring deep into the elf's forest green eyes. The other elves were all beautiful but sort of faded into the background and didn't get much screen time. Something burned in the elf's emerald orbs as Bella looked at him, he felt a strange urge to protect her.
"Our mages sometimes speak of a rare power, the power to walk through the Fade as though it were part of our world. To slip into the land of dreaming and to travel to other places instantly. 'Tis a rare power indeed, young magelet."
Bella blinked: "Shouldn't a mage be the one telling me this?" she asked.
"Male mages are boring wusses, that goes double for elves. While I'm a graceful but deadly warrior elf," he pointed out, "my name is Regoras, son of Relrond."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Bella said, and tripped over her own feet. Regoras' arms moved in a blur and he caught Bella before she nosedived into his chest. The mabari growled and Bella found herself blushing in the elf's clutches.
"I see your companion is somewhat protective of you," Regoras said and let go of her.
"If the Dalish know of this... Fade walking power, then can they teach me how to use it? I really need to get home before I am missed." Bella asked.
"Only you can master your power, human," Regoras said.
Bella's thoughts returned to Cullen and she found herself blushing again. "You don't understand, I left him thinking I hate him, I have to go back and make him love me again."
Regoras raised his eyebrows again: "Surely if this man is worthy of your love, he will understand," he said.
"But that's just it!" Bella protested. "He's not worthy of my love, he deserves so much more!"
The elf's mouth twitched: "You have much to learn of the world, young Bella Amell, cloistered and coddled as you are by the Chantry." They were walking back out into the forest, away from the camp, the mabari trailing at their heels.
"The Chantry keeps me safe," Bella protested as the elf walked at her side.
"Are you satisfied with safety, young human?" Regoras asked, stepping lightly over the grass. He turned suddenly and pinned Bella against a tree, his lips inches from hers. "You court danger by coming here," he whispered. The mabari barked, but no one came to rescue her.
"Let me go!" Bella said, franticly, while trying to struggle, feeling Regoras' breath hot on her face. She was no match for the elf's mighty sinews, made strong with countless hours of archery. She couldn't cast a spell with his hands confining hers, she was helpless and no one would come to her aid.
"You are a fascinating creature, Bella," Regoras said, "I am curious to see if humans are the same as elves when it comes to courtship."
"Does pinning an elf to a tree mean you like her? In Bizarro world?" Bella said, still trying in vain to push him away.
"Any female I can dominate is my lawful prey," Regoras said, "if you weren't willing to bed me, you shouldn't have followed me back into the woods." He pressed his lips against hers forcefully: Her first kiss, stolen away by this rascally elfman.
A bone chilling howl filled the forest, something huge snatched the elf away from her and she was abruptly free. She looked around in fear and saw something tearing the elf into tiny bleeding pieces. It was huge and dark and clawed, but that was all she could make out before she swooned in an appropriately maiden like fashion. Again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Order, order," Greagoir's voice rang out across the room, "the court is now in session. As honourable judge, jury and executioner, I hereby find the defendant completely and utterly guilty."
"Objection, your honour!" Jowan cried, sweat dripping down his face. "We haven't even had a trial yet!"
"I fail to see the relevance of objection," Greagoir said, "however, since you have a very nice shiny attorney lawyering badge that is slightly dazzling to look at, I will allow a trial to take place."
"It's not actually a lawyer badge," Jowan muttered to Cullen, "it's an attraction charm."
"Oooh, shiny!" Cullen said. "But I thought we had agreed I was going to plead guilty?"
"Look, this is my first trial and I'm going to do it properly," Jowan said.
"Okay, let's get this farce over with," Greagoir muttered, slamming down his mighty gavel.
"Call your first witness."
"Ummm, we don't have any witnesses," Jowan said. "We couldn't find any witnesses to Bella Amell's disappearance, neither for the defence or the prosecution."
"I conclude that the defendant has devoured all possible witnesses to his crime!" Greagoir yelled.
"Sir, if that were true, there would be a great deal of mess and blood and bones. In Bella Amell's last known location there is nothing but some flattened grass. If Bella was killed, if witnesses were killed, then where is the evidence?" Jowan asked.
"And where is the evidence to the contrary?" Greagoir asked. "I say you cannot prove the defendant did not kill and devour Bella Amell, therefore he must have done so."
"What possible motive could my client have for devouring a poor young mage?" Jowan asked.
"Why his very nature! He is tainted by the black blood of the darkspawn! We all know it!"
"If this is common knowledge why was my client permitted to become a Templar? Is it not the duty of your kind to destroy abominations where you find them?" Jowan asked.
"The Revered Mother herself requested he be allowed to join our ranks. It is her judgement that has brought us to this folly!"
"And how do you know Cullen is indeed tainted?" Jowan asked.
"I will prove it!" Greagoir said and unwound a silver necklace from his throat. "The blight burns in the presence of this metal." He approached Cullen and laid the chain across the pale man's perfect palm.
Cullen flinched and smoke rose from his hand. Greagoir's face lifted into a cruel smile and he peeled back the chain, showing a deep burn mark upon Cullen's palm.
"See? He is of the blighted blood! This all but proves his guilt!" Greagoir crowed. "Now, before I carry out my sentence, how does your client plead?"
Cullen stood up, his head jutting defiantly: "I plead guilty, your honour," he whispered.
Much to her chagrin, Bella was still following the large and cheerful mabari through the forest. She had run almost ten metres and was being to feel horrible pains in her ribs and spots began to dance through her vision like disco snowflakes on acid. The mabari sensed her exhaustion and skootched up under her feet, knocking her backward onto its back. Bella clung on to the dog with sheer desperation as the mabari raced through the forest.
Suddenly she found herself surrounded by tents and caravan thingies, the mabari had brought her into the Dalish camp without her even noticing. She half-slid, half-staggered from the large dog's back and sat on the grass panting until she could regain her breath. She looked around but the camp seemed deserted by elves.
"I guess there's no one here," she said to the mabari, which sneezed. Then suddenly she was surrounded by arrows pointing at her. Oh noes!
"The mabari breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark," a voice said. The mabari whined and Bella found her eyes drawn to the speaker. It was a handsome male Dalish, his golden tanned skin unmarred by any ugly tattoos, his hair ash blond, perfectly straight and impossibly long. His ears were delicately pointed and the entirety of him was so painfully beautiful Bella was struck dumb, well, more so than usual.
"Who are you and why are you trespassing on our lands with that... creature?" The beautiful elf asked.
"MynameisBellaAmellandIamafirstyearmageof theCircleTower," Bella said all in one breath, "I'mstudyingglyphswithaminorinarcanemagicandIhopesomedaytobecomeaspirithealer."
The elf raised one perfectly arched eyebrow, "And what is a Chantry Mage doing in the Brecilian Forest? You are long way from home, Bella Amell."
"I had some kind of magical... accident," Bella said, staring deep into the elf's forest green eyes. The other elves were all beautiful but sort of faded into the background and didn't get much screen time. Something burned in the elf's emerald orbs as Bella looked at him, he felt a strange urge to protect her.
"Our mages sometimes speak of a rare power, the power to walk through the Fade as though it were part of our world. To slip into the land of dreaming and to travel to other places instantly. 'Tis a rare power indeed, young magelet."
Bella blinked: "Shouldn't a mage be the one telling me this?" she asked.
"Male mages are boring wusses, that goes double for elves. While I'm a graceful but deadly warrior elf," he pointed out, "my name is Regoras, son of Relrond."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Bella said, and tripped over her own feet. Regoras' arms moved in a blur and he caught Bella before she nosedived into his chest. The mabari growled and Bella found herself blushing in the elf's clutches.
"I see your companion is somewhat protective of you," Regoras said and let go of her.
"If the Dalish know of this... Fade walking power, then can they teach me how to use it? I really need to get home before I am missed." Bella asked.
"Only you can master your power, human," Regoras said.
Bella's thoughts returned to Cullen and she found herself blushing again. "You don't understand, I left him thinking I hate him, I have to go back and make him love me again."
Regoras raised his eyebrows again: "Surely if this man is worthy of your love, he will understand," he said.
"But that's just it!" Bella protested. "He's not worthy of my love, he deserves so much more!"
The elf's mouth twitched: "You have much to learn of the world, young Bella Amell, cloistered and coddled as you are by the Chantry." They were walking back out into the forest, away from the camp, the mabari trailing at their heels.
"The Chantry keeps me safe," Bella protested as the elf walked at her side.
"Are you satisfied with safety, young human?" Regoras asked, stepping lightly over the grass. He turned suddenly and pinned Bella against a tree, his lips inches from hers. "You court danger by coming here," he whispered. The mabari barked, but no one came to rescue her.
"Let me go!" Bella said, franticly, while trying to struggle, feeling Regoras' breath hot on her face. She was no match for the elf's mighty sinews, made strong with countless hours of archery. She couldn't cast a spell with his hands confining hers, she was helpless and no one would come to her aid.
"You are a fascinating creature, Bella," Regoras said, "I am curious to see if humans are the same as elves when it comes to courtship."
"Does pinning an elf to a tree mean you like her? In Bizarro world?" Bella said, still trying in vain to push him away.
"Any female I can dominate is my lawful prey," Regoras said, "if you weren't willing to bed me, you shouldn't have followed me back into the woods." He pressed his lips against hers forcefully: Her first kiss, stolen away by this rascally elfman.
A bone chilling howl filled the forest, something huge snatched the elf away from her and she was abruptly free. She looked around in fear and saw something tearing the elf into tiny bleeding pieces. It was huge and dark and clawed, but that was all she could make out before she swooned in an appropriately maiden like fashion. Again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Order, order," Greagoir's voice rang out across the room, "the court is now in session. As honourable judge, jury and executioner, I hereby find the defendant completely and utterly guilty."
"Objection, your honour!" Jowan cried, sweat dripping down his face. "We haven't even had a trial yet!"
"I fail to see the relevance of objection," Greagoir said, "however, since you have a very nice shiny attorney lawyering badge that is slightly dazzling to look at, I will allow a trial to take place."
"It's not actually a lawyer badge," Jowan muttered to Cullen, "it's an attraction charm."
"Oooh, shiny!" Cullen said. "But I thought we had agreed I was going to plead guilty?"
"Look, this is my first trial and I'm going to do it properly," Jowan said.
"Okay, let's get this farce over with," Greagoir muttered, slamming down his mighty gavel.
"Call your first witness."
"Ummm, we don't have any witnesses," Jowan said. "We couldn't find any witnesses to Bella Amell's disappearance, neither for the defence or the prosecution."
"I conclude that the defendant has devoured all possible witnesses to his crime!" Greagoir yelled.
"Sir, if that were true, there would be a great deal of mess and blood and bones. In Bella Amell's last known location there is nothing but some flattened grass. If Bella was killed, if witnesses were killed, then where is the evidence?" Jowan asked.
"And where is the evidence to the contrary?" Greagoir asked. "I say you cannot prove the defendant did not kill and devour Bella Amell, therefore he must have done so."
"What possible motive could my client have for devouring a poor young mage?" Jowan asked.
"Why his very nature! He is tainted by the black blood of the darkspawn! We all know it!"
"If this is common knowledge why was my client permitted to become a Templar? Is it not the duty of your kind to destroy abominations where you find them?" Jowan asked.
"The Revered Mother herself requested he be allowed to join our ranks. It is her judgement that has brought us to this folly!"
"And how do you know Cullen is indeed tainted?" Jowan asked.
"I will prove it!" Greagoir said and unwound a silver necklace from his throat. "The blight burns in the presence of this metal." He approached Cullen and laid the chain across the pale man's perfect palm.
Cullen flinched and smoke rose from his hand. Greagoir's face lifted into a cruel smile and he peeled back the chain, showing a deep burn mark upon Cullen's palm.
"See? He is of the blighted blood! This all but proves his guilt!" Greagoir crowed. "Now, before I carry out my sentence, how does your client plead?"
Cullen stood up, his head jutting defiantly: "I plead guilty, your honour," he whispered.