I haven't been writing much lately and honestly enjoyed the much-needed break, but here's something short and sweet for New Years First Day.
"I hope you're not only planning on visiting when you're celebrating holidays."
Davrin's head snapped in their direction.
"Keeper Dar'salin!"
The instant Davrin darted up to his feet to help them along, the old elf started to wave him off, but thought twice of it and welcomed the support.
"It's good to see you again, young one," they greeted warmly.
"Well, you know..." With a shrug, Davrin smiled softly at them. "It's First Day. Figured I would drop by and make sure everyone was doing okay for the new year."
"Of course, of course." As they sat down upon a fallen log together, a peal of laughter brought their attention back to the clearing before them. There, a bunch of the clan's children were playing with Assan and Lucanis, chasing them around in a game of tag while a couple of parents stood on the outskirts, watching in amusement. "And I see you brought someone along with you."
Davrin eyed them warily.
"That's not going to be a problem, is it?"
The Keeper hummed in contemplation.
"Not so long as I have anything to say about it. Suspicion will always remain present among a few members, but the clan seemed to warm up to your friends last time you brought them around. This time should be no different."
"This time, I only brought him, though."
A heavy beat of silence passed between them.
"Ah, I see," Dar'salin said, studying Lucanis once more before they continued. "If my memory serves me right, you and this human seemed to enjoy each other's company last time you visited. I happen to remember the two of you dancing together."
Davrin snorted.
"I was drunk, much like many others," he said in his own defense. "I danced with a lot of people that night."
"Yet never as close with anyone else as you did with him." When Davrin averted his gaze in a grumble, Dar'salin snickered knowingly, nudging him with their elbow in delight. "Look, these old eyes might not be as good as they used to be, but I can still see, boy."
"Uh-huh, laugh it up." Eventually, Davrin ducked his head, his brow furrowed and voice low. "He's... important to me, Keeper."
"Then how can I offer you anything but my utmost support?"
It always baffled Davrin how easy they made that seem.
Compassion, kindness, acceptance.
They took to it as if it was as natural as breathing. They were in large part why he even still had a place in Clan Revadin after all his years away. Dar'salin's love for their clan, their patience with its members, truly knew no bounds.
"Not everyone will," Davrin reminded him, a pang of familiar tightness coiling up inside the center of his chest. "Yvanna—"
"Will come to accept this in her own way and, like everything else, on her own terms," Dar'salin told him, firm yet gentle. "Your sister is dealing with a lot of old hurts with you coming back into her life, but trust me —as our beloved First's mentor— when I say that she does love you greatly, Davrin, and both of you will overcome these challenges together with a bond stronger than ever before because of it. You can't force it, though. Give it time."
Davrin nodded, and Dar'salin smiled in kind, patting him on the hand.
"Now, tell me, does this Lucanis make you happy?"
What a loaded question, yet there wasn't an inkling of doubt in him at all.
Davrin sought him out on instinct, and as if he sensed it the second Davrin laid eyes on him, Lucanis looked his way. Something in Davrin's expression must have given away everything he was feeling in that moment, all of those fluttering sensations bubbling up inside of him, because Lucanis all but stopped in his tracks to beam at him.
The way his heart raced was all the confirmation Davrin needed.
"He does," he breathed to Dar'salin, as if it was a most sacred confession. "Much more than he realizes."
Crossing their legs, his Keeper gave an approving nod.
"Good, then get your ass out there and spend time with your man and your griffon, will ya?"
"Keeper!" Davrin laughed.
"Go on, now. No arguing," they shooed him off with a dismissive wave of their hand. "Leave me in peace to simply enjoy the sight of my clan having fun."
"Ha!" Nevertheless, Davrin did as he was told, getting to his feet. "Whatever you say, Keeper."
On his way to join the others, Dar'salin called out to him one last time.
"Hey, Davrin!" And when he turned to look at them over his shoulder, a brow raised in question, sincerity filled every word as they stated, "Happiness suits you, my boy."
"Yeah," Davrin said, as he moved to catch up with the others, "I'm starting to realize that, too."
Okay, but now I'm thinking about the Dellamortes meeting Davrin's family from Clan Revadin, as I headcanon them. Maybe they gather them for dinner to announce they're engaged. That sure would be an interesting evening.
Caterina and Nor'lahni (Davrin's mother) promised to be on their best behavior, which means they're making passive aggressive comments towards each other the entire time until one of them eventually makes the wrong remark about the other's grandson/son and it kind of explodes from there. My bet would be on Caterina because I have a feeling she wouldn't be able to stop herself from commenting on Davrin's "influence" over Lucanis and "distracting him from his duties as First Talon" or something along those lines, and it would pop off from there.
Uncle Eldrin was trying to keep the peace up until that point for Davrin's sake. After Caterina starts shit with Nor'lahni, though, all bets are off. Tharen (Davrin's father) could care less to put on an act for a bunch of humans, to be quite honest, so he's not hiding his disdain in the slightest. Meanwhile, Yvanna (Davrin's sister) picks up on the tension between Illario and Lucanis, and can't believe she relates to Illario with how her relationship with Davrin is but of course she would never admit to feeling sympathy for that pathetic, wet cat of a man in her lifetime.
Safe to say, there's gonna be a lot of Antivan and Elven being thrown around by the end of this.
Tharen carrying little Davrin on his shoulders while the clan is traveling. Him, Nor'lahni, and Eldrin taking turns carrying him in a sling when he was a baby, cradled against their chest, where he could hear their heartbeat. 🥺
Author's note: For Day 7 of Davrin Week: Free Day! Although some parts of the fic might fit other prompts from previous days. Tagging @datvcompanionweeks @lesbianwyllravengard @finallygaveintothesirencall
Summary: The day that Davrin left his clan, as experienced through his mother's point of view.
This couldn't be happening.
Nor'lahni thought that she would have more time than this! Ever since Davrin voiced his desire to leave, things between him and the clan have been tense to say the least, but Nor'lahni still held out hope that they could change his mind before the matter escalated even further.
It was a foolish hope, one that she should have known better than to nurture. Rather than wasting what precious little time she had left with him trying to convince him to stay, she should have been treasuring every moment together down to the very last second.
Summary: Emmrich meets Uncle Eldrin and Davrin's mother, Nor'lahni. A prompt fill for @ride-a-dromedary Hope you enjoy! <3
For more context on his family and the dynamics included/mentioned here, I'm shamelessly linking my other fic, The Pride of Clan Revadin, which is about Davrin and him leaving his clan.
Word Count: 3,260 (became way longer than I anticipated for one of my "short" prompt fills lol)
"A human, Davrin? Really?"
As they walked through the woods together, Eldrin and griffons in tow, Davrin expected nothing less from Nor'lahni when he told her about Emmrich. His mother wasn't one to hold her tongue, after all, especially when it came to voicing her concerns about her family's well-being. While Davrin hadn't visited any of the others in the clan as of yet, that didn't stop her from worrying about him in the slightest —her precious baby boy, all out there on his own, let her tell it. As far as Davrin knew, however, she was under no illusions about him returning to Clan Revadin for good, but she was still happy to spend what time she could with him nevertheless.
Without a doubt in his mind, the same could be said in return.
Although, now that he told her about his relationship, he was starting to wonder whether bringing Emmrich along to meet her was such a good idea.
Bristling at her tone, he crossed his arms over his chest while they ventured on, his head held high the entire time.
“Come on, Ma,” he huffed, kicking a rock down the path ahead of them. “Don't tell me that's gonna be a problem.”
In her defense, she didn't look angry or frustrated by the reveal.
As if there was any stopping her then, if that were the case.
No, eyes wide and lips downturned, her expression was one of—of worry, an emotion that Davrin seldom associated with her throughout his lifetime. Courageous as she was, he always looked up to her. Of course, growing up, it was easier to believe that his mother was invincible, that nothing could scare such a mighty huntress. It was easier to believe the lie he told himself than it was to confront the reality that even she could experience fear.
It was disconcerting for sure, being part of the reason that fear was even there in the first place.
“No, it's not that,” Nor'lahni sighed in protest. “I don't have an issue with him being human, but you should know that—”
Separated from the flock, Assan squawked in the distance, bounding forward to lead Emmrich and Manfred up the path to meet them.
Davrin's frown quirked up into a fond smile at the sight of them.
Nor'lahni mumbled under her breath, “Quite the flashy one you got there,” but Davrin tried not to let her quick judgment discourage him, Eldrin stepping in to whisper something to her that had her falling silent.
Well, now or never…
Davrin picked up the pace in order to go and greet them first. He barely had time to give Assan a scratch behind his ears, followed by a pat to Manfred's, er, shoulder, before the two of them ran off to play with Assan's siblings, who shrieked in delight at their arrival. Eldrin and Nor'lahni watched Manfred's approach with a wary eye, but ultimately let the matter be when it was clear that he had no hostile intentions.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Davrin turned to Emmrich next, who beamed at him with enough radiance to rival the sun.
Donned in some of his more “casual” robes, Davrin had to admit that Nor'lahni might have had a point, but Emmrich wouldn't be Emmrich if he wasn't as fashionable as ever, whether that be at the Lighthouse, at the Necropolis, on a battlefield, or in the middle of the woods.
It was a look that had grown on Davrin over time, and he wouldn't change it for anything.
“Hey there, handsome,” Davrin said, not even bothering to hide how he openly admired him. And as anticipated, Emmrich all but melted on the spot. “Glad you made it in one piece.”
“Are you kidding? Assan was a wonderful guide, as always.” Easing closer with his oaken staff in one hand, Emmrich took Davrin's in the other. Lifting his hand up to press a kiss along the back of his knuckles, Emmrich's eyes remained fixated on him the entire time, his breath warm against Davrin's skin while he spoke. “A pleasure to see you again, my dear.”
When Davrin felt a surge of heat rush to his face, he cleared his throat in response, his heart skipping a beat.
“Emm, please.” Struggling to keep his expression under control, Davrin laced their fingers together, then gave Emmrich's hand a gentle tug. “It hadn't even been that long since I left.”
“On the contrary, it was long enough for your absence at my side to take its toll on me, which I'll have you know is an affront of the highest order.”
“How will you ever recover?”
“Precisely. Plus,” Emmrich sighed, “Assan vomited on my floor again while you were gone.”
Davrin winced, sparing him an apologetic grin.
“Of course he did. I'll, uh, make it up to you later.”
“You better, but don't be rude.” He nodded pointedly towards the others. “You wanted us to meet, did you not? Introduce us.”
“Would you listen to that? Someone's being bossy today.” Yet Davrin did as he was told, not wanting to delay the inevitable any longer.
Together, he and Emmrich stepped forward, hand-in-hand, until they stood proudly before the two of them.
“Mamae, Uncle Eldrin, this is Professor Emmrich Volkarin of the Mourn Watch.” Davrin gestured to each of them as he spoke. “Emmrich, this is my mother, Nor'lahni, lead hunter of Clan Revadin, and Eldrin—”
“The humble guide to our feathery flock of forest guardians,” Eldrin finished with a laugh, his arms spread out at his sides. “Nice to finally meet you.”
To Davrin's horror, while Emmrich went in for a handshake, Eldrin passed that offer up entirely, going straight in for a hug. Emmrich tensed in shock, caught between whether or not to return the hug in kind.
Creators take Davrin now. What was that old man doing?
Eldrin wasn't exactly the “touchy-feely” type, as he described it, except with those that he was more familiar with, so embracing a stranger like that was certainly out of character for him, to say the least.
Nor'lahni must have been thinking something along the same lines, clicking her tongue at him.
“Eldrin, stop crowding him, will you?” She shook her head at him, unimpressed. “At this rate, you gonna have Davrin second-guessing bringing any guests around us again.”
Eldrin relented, releasing Emmrich from his grasp, but not without playing up his act some more.
“What can I say? Davrin never brought anyone home to meet us before.” Swiping away at dry eyes, he pretended to sniffle. “I'm just so happy.”
Okay, that… actually held some truth to it.
Davrin scowled.
Luckily, Nor'lahni intervened then, stepping forward to take Emmrich's hand into a brief but firm handshake.
Maybe a little too firm.
It didn't escape Davrin's notice how Emm had to clench and unclench his hand several times, once it was released.
Yet his smile remained in place through it all.
“A pleasure to meet both of you,” he stated, nodding amicably at them.
“Likewise,” Nor'lahni muttered, even as her blunt tone said otherwise.
At that, an awkward sort of tension clung to the air. Silence stretched on between them. In truth, no more than a minute could have passed them by, but that lone minute felt like an eternity of torment in the moment.
Eldrin cleared his throat before that sense of discomfort could overstay its welcome.
“So, I see that you have your staff with you,” he mentioned to Emmrich, motioning his hand towards it. “How's it holding up?”
Of course, Emmrich jumped at any opportunity to brag about Davrin's gift to him.
“Oh, it has performed marvelously! Davrin truly did a tremendous job on it. I never go anywhere without it now.” He proudly showed it off while he spoke, coaxing a subtle glow from the enchantments etched into the wood. Satisfied with a job well done, Davrin watched Emmrich put on his display, the latter eventually addressing Eldrin once more. “Although, perhaps thanks are in order. I believe you had a hand in getting this to me.”
“Please,” Eldrin snorted, sparing him a dismissive wave of his hand. Nor'lahni took the lead as they started their trek back to her and Eldrin's camp for supper, everyone else falling into step behind her. They gathered up Manfred and the griffons on the way, which only added a flurry of chaos to their conversation. “I was just the errand boy, running it back and forth as I was told. Keeper Dar'salin was the one who gave it their blessing. I bet they would have loved to meet you. It's not often that they get the chance to perform such an act for an outsider and one of our own.”
Well-intentioned as his words were, Davrin couldn't help but wince at that last part.
Thankfully, Emmrich didn't seem deterred in the slightest.
“Perhaps one day we'll get the chance to meet then,” he said, casting a purposeful glance in Davrin's direction, but Davrin refused to make any such promises until they saw how this meeting turned out first.
For now, he merely shrugged and repeated, “Perhaps,” leaving things at that.
Wary of continuing on with that particular discussion, they turned to other topics from there. Through the constant squawking and Manfred's occasional word or hiss, they kept the conversation flowing well enough. Given enough time, however, it came as no surprise to Davrin when Emmrich's focus started to shift towards subjects such as the Fade, the dead, and spirits, of course.
Although Davrin would never fully understand Emmrich's interest in all matters befitting a Mourn Watcher, he had come to terms with the fact that some things simply weren't meant for him to get, but that didn't make them any less important to Emmrich, thus to him as well. He tried to ask questions when appropriate, questions that Emm had probably answered for him a million times over already, but Emmrich's patience knew no bounds when it came to sharing knowledge, eager as can be.
With how he hung onto the professor's every word, Davrin did his best to keep up with what was being said while ignoring the amused smirk Eldrin aimed his way.
In spite of herself, Nor'lahni snickered, looking back over her shoulder at Emmrich.
“You know,” she hummed, her brown eyes sparkling with joy, “I think you'd get on well with Yvanna, especially with all of this talk about the Fade and magic.”
Emmrich cocked his head to the side, brow furrowed.
“Yvanna?”
Confused, Nor'lahni slowed to a stop, sweeping her gaze back and forth between him and Davrin.
One could see the exact moment realization dawned on her. At first, she blinked owlishly at them. Then, all of a sudden, she glared at Davrin, her lips curled down into a scowl.
Once it was clear that this would become an issue, Davrin braced himself for whatever she threw at him.
“Yeah, Yvanna. Davrin's sister,” Nor'lahni explained, nice and slow.
“Oh, I didn't realize he had a—”
“And why would you,” she snapped, a sob escaping before she could stop it, all while her stare remained fixated on Davrin the entire time, “if he doesn't ever speak of us?!”
A sharp lance of pain radiated throughout Davrin's chest, but what could he possibly say in his defense, when she was only speaking the truth?
Eldrin stepped forward to intervene, his hand outstretched towards Nor'lahni.
“Lahna, come on. Don't do th—” As soon as he rested his hand on her arm, she shook it off, storming off before he could even finish. Still, he called after her, “You know it's not like that!”
When she didn't immediately answer, he shrugged helplessly at them with an apologetic frown, chasing after her with the flock of griffons in tow, all except for Assan and Manfred, who remained loyally by Davrin's and Emmrich's sides.
What a mess. One of his own making, at that.
Didn't stop Emmrich from placing the blame on himself, unfortunately.
“Apologies, my dear,” he said, shuffling in place. “I didn't mean to cause any trouble.”
“You didn't,” Davrin assured him. “This one's on me.” Grumbling to himself, he rubbed at the back of his neck. “I guess I should have mentioned her to you sooner.”
“Would I be overstepping by asking, why didn't you?”
Davrin shook his head.
“No, of course you're not overstepping. After everything that we've been through together, it's a fair enough question. Family matters with me are…” He paused, lips pursed. “Complicated.” And that was putting it lightly. “Always will be. There's a lot of pain and hurt to go around, but the love is still there in spite of it all.” He stared down at the ground until Assan snuggled up to his side, Davrin taking the time to scratch behind his ears again. “Last time I ever saw my sister, she called me a flat-ear for leaving the clan.”
“You were younger when that happened, though, correct?” Emmrich asked. “Do you really think she meant that?”
“Honestly, whether she meant it or not is irrelevant at this point. Some words can't be unsaid. Some wounds will never heal. I don't hate her for what happened. I get why she said it. I understand that she was angry and lashing out at me for hurting her —rightfully so, in my opinion— but that doesn't make it any less painful to think about either.”
“Understandable. Rarely is the past ever so easy to unearth,” Emmrich acknowledged, “especially when doing so tends to reopen old wounds.” Reaching out, he set his hand upon Davrin's cheek, stroking his thumb along the outline of it. Unable to resist his touch, Davrin buried his face into his palm, accepting the comfort that he so readily offered. “Listen to me, my dear, don't cause yourself any undue stress for my sake, your mother's sake, or anyone else's for that matter. You tell me about your past when you are ready, and not a moment before. I'm not going anywhere, unless you wish it.”
“Thanks, Emm.” Davrin released a shaky breath. “I–I really needed to hear that right now.” After he managed to swallow past the lump in his throat, he smiled weakly at him. “So, are you still up to having supper with Ma?”
“Are you kidding?” Emmrich dropped his hand to hook his arm through Davrin's. “I wouldn't miss it for the world.”
They led Assan and Manfred in the direction the others disappeared to, soon catching up with them at their camp.
While another confrontation was expected upon their arrival, nothing could have prepared either of them for what Nor'lahni said next.
“Answer me this,” she told them as they neared, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “Do you two plan on getting married?”
Eldrin choked on his spit, wheezing through the sudden pain, while Davrin and Emmrich gaped at her.
Caught off guard, Davrin tried to stop her there, “Ma—”
But she wasn't having it. Her frown only deepened.
“Do you plan on having children?”
“Mamae!”
He and Emmrich haven't even discussed that among themselves yet. They absolutely would not be answering those questions on the spot.
Thankfully, she dropped the subject for now, but those earlier signs of fear and worry made another appearance again. Unease settled in Davrin's gut like a rock.
“Look, no matter what you might think of how I go about things, I'm not asking all of this because I don't approve of your relationship. It's just, I want—” She fell silent when her lower lip wobbled. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes, but she swiped them away before they could spill down over her cheeks, blinking past them until she could see clearly again. “Davrin, no matter how you feel about your family, I'll never stop being your mother, and I'll always do my best to keep you safe. That protection goes for both of you, if Emmrich truly means that much to you.”
When she turned to stare at the professor, he met her eyes without hesitation, listening closely to what she had to say.
“Your Divine Victoria has taken a great many strides towards progress throughout her reign so far. She's helped better the lives of a lot of folks under the Orlesian Chantry, but not all of her efforts have been received without backlash. She's had to deal with a lot of resistance from both her peers and the public. Sad to say, but hate and ignorance don't just go away because we want it to.” She peeked at Davrin. “And that applies to both sides. We Dalish try to maintain strong bonds as part of the People, but that doesn't mean every elf will be supportive of your decision here.”
Davrin scoffed, his nose wrinkled in disdain.
“Yeah, go figure. What else is new?”
All he had to say was, if anybody tried to cause problems for them just because they were an elf and a human, then he would handle it. Plain and simple.
Nor'lahni frowned, but didn't refute his point.
Brief as it was, the lull in the conversation opened the floor for Emmrich to speak.
“If I may,” he said, gathering their attention, “I'd like to remind you that I am a mage who lived under the rule of said Chantry both before and after the mage revolution. Not even two decades ago, had I fathered a child, then it would have been forcibly taken from my care, all because of the powers I was born with.”
Thinking back on that era, the Mourn Watch might have experienced some leniency in comparison to other Circle mages due to their cultural significance in Nevarra, but even they weren't allowed a lot of the freedoms that were granted to non-mages. It still hurt to consider the injustice of it all, because it wasn't only a history lesson to Emmrich of some long-forgotten past, as it likely would be for the younger generations of mages to come. No, he lived that reality for the majority of his life, robbed of his rights because of what made him different.
If anyone was willing to hear Nor'lahni out about her concerns, then it was him.
“Granted, I might not be familiar with the specific struggles of being an elf, but I'm not completely oblivious to the…” He trailed off, searching for the right word. “Challenges that Davrin and I will face, now that we're together, but I know one thing for certain.” Emmrich's expression gentled as he smiled softly at Davrin. “He's worth it.”
Davrin swore that his heart would burst out of his chest at any moment.
He returned the smile with one of his own.
“As are you, vhenan,” he breathed.
Nor'lahni melted at the sight of them, only to roll her eyes at Eldrin when he nudged her side in encouragement.
Standing tall, she stated, “Well, if nothing else, know that you'll both have my support, no matter what.”
“And mine as well,” Eldrin added with a nod, his eyes crinkled at the corners from his bright grin.
As if sensing the importance of that moment, all of the griffons started bobbing up and down, shrieking their excitement, which of course only made Manfred all too eager to join in.
Emmrich laughed at the sight while Davrin shook his head at them, his fondness shining through.
“We thank you for that,” Emmrich said. “It means a lot to us.”
“Yeah,” Davrin whispered, drawing Emmrich in against his side, “more than you'll ever know.”
