Her knife was carefully sheathed and returned to her belt. More bits of wood were carefully blown away and then Merrill sat as well, cross-legged and bare-footed. Her dog came wiggling over after a moment, putting his head in her lap.
"The Dalish are nomads; we seek to try and preserve what knowledge we have of the old ways, of the People when they had kingdoms and weren't- well, second-class citizens, if that. A lot of the knowledge has been lost or changed in the telling, but it's our heritage; we try to remember, even if we don't like what we remember."
One hand settled in the fur of her dog. The other reached up, slender fingers tapping at the tattooed lines on her face.
"We remember the Creators, the gods who gave us the gifts of the world. When we come of age, we receive the vallaslin. It's for the gods, and sets us apart from other elves. And each god has symbols." Moving her hands, the wood carvings are tapped.
"The owl is for Falon'Din, Friend of the Dead, the Guide; it is his messenger, and sometimes Falon'Din himself. The ravens are for Dirthamen, his brother, Keeper of Secrets. When Falon'Din walked where Dirthamen could not follow, the ravens named Fear and Deceit came to him, but he became their master."
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Her knife was carefully sheathed and returned to her belt. More bits of wood were carefully blown away and then Merrill sat as well, cross-legged and bare-footed. Her dog came wiggling over after a moment, putting his head in her lap.
"The Dalish are nomads; we seek to try and preserve what knowledge we have of the old ways, of the People when they had kingdoms and weren't- well, second-class citizens, if that. A lot of the knowledge has been lost or changed in the telling, but it's our heritage; we try to remember, even if we don't like what we remember."
One hand settled in the fur of her dog. The other reached up, slender fingers tapping at the tattooed lines on her face.
"We remember the Creators, the gods who gave us the gifts of the world. When we come of age, we receive the vallaslin. It's for the gods, and sets us apart from other elves. And each god has symbols." Moving her hands, the wood carvings are tapped.
"The owl is for Falon'Din, Friend of the Dead, the Guide; it is his messenger, and sometimes Falon'Din himself. The ravens are for Dirthamen, his brother, Keeper of Secrets. When Falon'Din walked where Dirthamen could not follow, the ravens named Fear and Deceit came to him, but he became their master."