Leliana have always loved telling stories.
A habit of a bard, it seems.
But since she lost her beloved grey warden, she found no interest with sharing her tales and adventures anymore.
The Inquisitor loved hearing the tales of bards, and of course when one day, everyone sat by the fire, that request was inevitable.
"Will you tell us a story, Leliana?" asked the Inquisitor.
Varric was already asleep, so the only storyteller by the fire was her.
"There are plenty of stories that you can read of in the library, surely." Leliana tried to evade.
"A story, so beautiful and mysterious is waiting on your delicate lips. Waiting to come out."
"Maker's balls! Cut it out, Cole!" Blackwall raged.
Leliana loved seeing Blackwall blush.
She has to tell him something as a reward.
"Very well. What do you want to hear?" asked Leliana while stroking her long beloved bow.
"I don't know... Have you ever met someone out of Thedas worth telling about?" asked Cullen.
"I have met many people out of Thedas worth talking of, but none were like her..."
"Out of Thedas? Meaning, you've wondered in other worlds?"
"Yes. It was very hard to find a way to control these Eluvians, but it was very much worth the work."
The inquisitor have a soft giggle and asked "You asked Morrigan to teach you?"
Leliana's face for so serious as she let out the word "Yes." impatiently.
"Well, it all-" Started Leliana, but soon was interrupted by a loud snore coming from Varric's room.
"He's well asleep, my friends!" Blackwall laughed.
"It all began one day when I tried to activate the Eluvian by myself." Leliana resumed her tale. "I entered a world I have never seen before. Not in Orleis, nor in Antiva, Ferelden or Tevinter. I have always known there are places I didn't get visit, but something told me this is not in Thedas."
Solas straighten his back and looked at the fire "it could be the Fade, but for the Eluvians to connect with the Fade you must use great power." he said and hugged his beloved Inquisitor.
Leliana smiled "Yet it was not."
"Vishante Kaffas! How could you leave Thedas through an Eluvian? I know you can travel with them to distant places but... How?" Dorian seemed very intrigued.
"I guess the Eluvian Morrigan brought us was a special one. I found myself in a large park. The flowers there bloom although there is no sun nor moon. It was like something in between. In the center of that park, there was a small house. More like some small workshop. It seemed as if no one was there for years. Dust came to my nose as I walked through it."
Everyone were so hooked on that story.
Everyone would want to hear of another world.
Not to mention some of them never tried walking through Eluvians yet.
"I was walking aimlessly for hours. Just to see, what beautiful place it was. It was addicting. At some point, I could see stains of blood. They were moving on the ground. Expending themselves. When I walked towards them, tombstones with little skeletons came out of them. The skeletons cried. They moaned of sadness. I didn't know why. I couldn't understand this twisted place at all. At some point, I could hear someone coming. I hid behind a big tombstone and waited to see who's coming. It was a man. He talked to a doll who lied by the stairs to the workshop. And the doll stood up and talked."
"How can a doll talk?" asked the Inquisitor.
"I honestly have no idea..." Leliana sighed.
"Did she say something interesting?" Asked Cassandra.
"She spoke as if that man was her lover, and referred to him as 'Hunter'. I've never seen something like that. Ever."
Everyone remain silent.
They wanted to hear more.
"After he left, I came to that doll. She fell on the ground. Lifeless. It seemed very odd. I tried talking to her, but she didn't respond. I tried to say things that man said, but nothing worked..."
Leliana then stood up and walked away.
"Wait! What of the doll? Do you know how to make her talk now?" asked Cullen.
Leliana looked back and said "There are things no one should know." and left the room.
She climbed up the stairs and locked herself in her room.
"Last chance" she said, still her back towards the door.
She stepped into the room slowly, as if trying to make sure no one hears her footsteps.
"It was useless... Nothing would came out of you, am I correct?" she spoke to a pile of rugs and dirty sheets on the floor.
Leliana gave a frustrated scream and kicked the pile with her leg and a loud cracking sound was heard of it "Why him and not me!?" she raged.
A head of a doll rolled out of this pile.
That head was cracked by these pale glass eyes.
Leliana picked that broken doll's head up and looked at it for a few minute.
"You will never talk to me, right?" she asked again.
The doll didn't move.
Nor did she speak.
She did nothing.
Leliana threw the doll's head to the floor and went to change to her nightgown.
She won't be able to make that magical doll talk tonight.
She gave up on it.
She leaped into bed and fell asleep right away.
The doll's head was still on the cool floor.
The eyes started glistening with some white fluid coming out of them.
The doll could feel pain although she's not truly human.
She suffered so much of that merciless Spymaster.
All she could do now is to cry silently.
"Oh, Dear Hunter... Save me..."