"The orb…" Solas brokenly said, as he held the largest fragment of the now-shattered foci in his palm. His shoulders were slumped forward, defeated. Pharen stepped carefully over the rubble, being mindful not to break him out of his reverie. Once she stood near enough to touch him, she spoke softly to him, "I'm so sorry, Solas. I tried to keep it close but Corypheus…the Breach…I had to send him back…I-I guess I got a little carried away…" Pharen stared down at the man on his knees before her, his aura full of sorrow and regret. She attempted to brush his aura with hers, in hopes that he would at least rise from his knees, only for him to shrink away from her, his demeanor remaining unchanged.
"It was not supposed to happen this way." Solas turned to her, his eyes full of remorse. "I promised you answers, Pharen. Answers, I am afraid, that will remain unspoken. One day, I hope you will forgive me for what I have done." His broken voice brought so many feelings to the surface for Pharen. She longed to reach out to him, to hold him, to tell him whatever it is she did, she would fix, no matter what. She wasn't, however, expecting what he said next. "Whatever happens, know that what we had was real."
"Sol-" Pharen began, only to be interrupted by the Seeker frantically calling for her. Bloody, battle-worn, and out of breath, Seeker Cassandra reached the top of the battlements where Pharen and Solas stood. "Inquisitor! I'm so thankful you're alive!" Cassandra hugged her friend tightly, only to realize a moment later that the Inquisitor did not return it. "Inquis - Pharen? Are you all right?" Cassandra softened her worried expression, albeit slightly. The concerned Seeker retained hold of Pharen's slouched shoulders, but moved back, so as to inspect her properly, to ensure she had not been gravely wounded. Satisfied, the Seeker embraced her friend once more, holding her close.
Pharen knew something was wrong, though not what. As she backed away from her friend, turning only slightly towards the woods, she felt her stomach drop in fear at what she thought she glimpsed in the tree line. Looking down into the freshly-fallen snow, she could barely make out what appeared to be giant paw prints. Paw prints? But Solas-. Her train of thought was abruptly stopped as an ethereal yet mournful howl resounded within her very soul. The Inquisitor dared a glance at the forest once more, to confirm what she thought she saw, to be met by a great white wolf with blue eyes, its blue eyes standing out against the black of the trees. As she watched, the wolf once again howled its mournful tune, almost beckoning her to console it.
She couldn't help herself. She knew someone was calling her name, yet was deaf to it. She realized the temperature was dropping, yet was numb to it. Her fingers reaching towards the wolf, with its ears perked forward, fluffy tail lying contentedly by its side, watching her. Though as she dared closer, the alpha began to back away, its ears no longer perked with interest, but going backwards with every step she took. Pharen stopped, very near to it. Dropping her hand limply at her side and collapsed to her knees before the wolf. Through tears, she looked up at it through dark eyelashes, "Are you who I think you are? Are you the one who stole my Solas from me? Dirth ma, hahren."
She glanced up at the great wolf, who was now eyeing her appraisingly, calculating, almost. All at once, the wolf sat up with grace and fluidity, its piercing blue eyes glancing down, then away, as it padded away from her, deeper into the forest. Pharen got up, slowly, staring at where the wolf had gone. She turned away, beginning to walk back to her waiting friend, when she felt a tug at the veil. I'm not casting. Who's casting? Her eyes going wide at the realization of a powerful mage being nearby, possibly even a Venatori spellbinder, she turned on her heel and sprinted into the woods, not hearing the calls from her companions to come back. Her sorrow she turned to rage at Solas for abandoning her on the battlefield, with not even a goodbye. Even though her lungs stung with each inhale of the cold air, she fueled herself forward, hoping she was gaining on the massive alpha.
Pharen slowed her sprint down to a near-crawl as she reached the heart of the forest. As she scanned her surroundings, she realized there was a soft glow being emitted from not far ahead of her. She began to walk toward it, using the fallen snow to move stealthily through this unknown stretch of woods. As she pushed a few branches out of the way, she came to a clearing with two very large howling wolf statues in the center, and what looked to be an activated eluvian in the center. Pharen slowly approached it, glancing up at the two statues, their jeweled eyes seeming to watch as she drew close to the mirror. It was then that she heard a soft growl behind her; the hunter had finally caught up with her.
"Who are you? Why must you follow me? Is this yours? Did you intentionally lead me here, knowing I'd feel the pull of the Veil? Especially after just taking out Corypheus? Tell me!" Her last words were a shout at the Great Wolf, and its deafening snarl as it leapt toward her was the last thing she remembered before she fell backward and blacked out.