The Witness and the Scars
Varric knew he had other things to do for his domain and for his clan. He had been away for far longer than he needed, with this sacrifice. He paused mid step. Could he truly continue taking sacrifices and look Ardyn in the face after. He nodded in understanding, no more sacrifices he would protect Silver Vale for Ardyn.
For as long as he exists he would ensure their safety from the terrors of their world.
He took the long way to his teacher's cave, he looked up at the massive cave entrance still lost in thought about Ardyn. He finally registered why he was there and called out.
"Elsa! I need to speak with you." Silence, he frowned, she hardly left her cave. "Elsa!?" more silence. She hardly left her cave, not never. He would see to clan and territory business and return to her later.
He smiled, and in between he would sneak time to be with Ardyn.
Elsa was an ancient creature, Varric's five thousand years was little more than the span of a week when compared to her time in this plane. She had seen many creatures come and go and existence was now such a fleeting thing to her eyes.
So she found her amusement where she could and actively embraced all things that interested her. Existence became so boring if you couldn't find something to interest you.
So, of course, when she sensed Varric moving about to different locations, using different magical techniques, and ending at a little used cave system she had to come and see.
And she was glad she did.
To see Varric show emotions that were so foreign to him made her heart warm. He was a good student, an excellent ruler, and a fair being, he deserved to understand the notion of love. What was truly interesting was that the love as with a human.
She wanted to laugh out loud, it was the epitome of irony. The beings he had the least regard for, refused to understand, or take seriously, he now had such a passion for one that she could physically see his inner confusion.
The old tortoise stayed high up along the cave wall Watching the two. She frowned when the girl said she didn't need anything. Elsa's eyes roamed over the barren cave. 'What type of human is she that she would find comfort in this?'
The question made her change her plans. Instead of going to tease Varric, she would watch this girl. The girl suddenly became very interesting.
After watching her sit for a long moment dangling her feet in a pond, Elsa had decided the girl was of no interest at all, then the girl stood and Elsa decided to give it a few more moments.
Ardyn took out her meager belongings, she had almost left them in Silver Vale, she was glad she hadn't. It was hand made soap and some handmade skin care salve.
She took off her sacrificial gown and moved to enter the water.
Elsa frowned at the sight of the girls back and legs. There were old burns that seemed to have healed with infection, marking her pale skin badly, but on top, and probably underneath, that were whip marks, some fresh and oozing with puss, some whiter than the girls natural pallor, and still others varying shades of red and purple.
It was horrendous.
Was this child human? Was she impervious to pain? Or had pain been all she ever knew?
Elsa, for the first time in long millennia, hesitated. Should she talk to Varric or go straight to the girl and heal her and then go to Varric? She knew he didn't know, the way she saw him looking at this girl, there was no way he would allow her to be in this state.
That resolved her to act. By this time Ardyn was already in the water, her long blond hair soaked, the amethyst streaks deepened in color. Elsa spoke, her voice ancient, like a deep forest in an ancient land. It moved over Ardyn and immediately calmed her.
"Child. Why did you not tell him you needed first aid? The skin of your back is in horrible shape. I am your Lord's teacher, I will render you aid in his stead.
"Be calm. I will not hurt you."
Ardyn had been startled but the fear she felt was in her secret being known. It was a strict rule that no one know, and even now, with her no longer in that world the fear struck her heart hard and her body went numb as tears began to stream down her cheeks and words stuttered from her mouth.
The entire scene caused Elsa to pause again and Ardyn was able to carry on for a long while.
"I… I am sorry Mistress. It…. It… it is nothing. Old wounds for accidents… accidents in my…. Youth."
She had moved from the pond, grabbing her only clothing, the sacrificial gown, and held it to herself as she searched for the source of the voice.
Elsa stepped forward from nothing, simply sound manifesting into something solid and more tangible.
Ardyn didn't flinch, she was strong to begin with, but Varric had shown her too much. This was just something natural within her new world.
The creature before her was covered in varying shades of green plates, her skin was a pale shade of green, like soft sea moss, and her eyes were sparkling emeralds. When Ardyn looked into those emerald eyes her soul and mind calmed. She instinctively felt safe.
This was part of Elsa's natural magic. She was half tortoise but she was of nature, of balance, of a wholeness that reached out and sought to cure, or fulfill.
She smiled and Ardyn naturally, automatically returned the smile with one of her own. They sat as one and Elsa lifted her palm and a wide Lear sat on it, filled with a mound of light blue salve.
"Come here little one, let me help you." There was no judgment in that ancient, regal, voice, just compassion and a dense sense of love.
Ardyn turned her back to her even as she spoke to refute any need for aid.
"I am fine Mistress. I have a salve that works well."
"I see that your legs are scarred but healed better than many parts of your back. So you need help reaching some areas.
"Lay down here. Let me heal all of this for you."
Ardyn did as she was told and agreed glow lighted around Elsa's free hand, it bloomed like a deep burning fire and moved to Ardyn's body. [Nature's Kiss] it was ancient magic and it felt like something Ardyn's body knew and had been waiting for.
She instantly relaxed as old, and new scars melted away and she was left with pristine skin. She blinked as that familiar tightness disappeared, and it no longer felt like her skin was too tight for her frame.
Elsa began rubbing on the blue salve. "This is just for scent and to make your skin even more beautiful. I will leave some here for you, here near your bathing pool."
"Now child." Elsa spoke calmly, like a mother and an older sister, use to being patient. "Tell me about yourself. You would not take what you needed from him, but I know humans better than he does, I will make sure you have all you need."
Ardyn looked at her, protest on her lips, Elsa's kind smile stopped the words in her throat.
"He is my student, I see the love in his eyes, I will make sure he does right by you. Give him time, he will understand all your needs and you will never want or need to ask.
"Come, this area here would be perfect for a bed, and maybe a wardrobe. Tell me about yourself." She looked at Ardyn's bare skin and a pale green traveling suit came into existence covering Ardyn's small frame perfectly.
"Green is such a beautiful color isn't it?" Ardyn couldn't help but match this intriguing woman's smile.
Even as Elsa's blood boiled.
Varric would know of this, she would even show him through second sight, but she was going to deal with whoever did this herself. She could taste the purity of this girl's soul and Elsa was not a being to allow such purity to be mistreated.