This chapter features "Tír na nÓg" by Celtic Woman.
"Wow... so this is Haven?"
"It's beautiful! Look at all the snow!"
"Ah, you must be the new recruits!"
The newest recruits to the Inquisition were arriving to Haven from all over Thedas and amongst them was Caelia Delisle- known to her peers as the "Tempest Witch" and sometimes even "Ice Queen" due to her temperamental nature and her skills in both ice and wind magik.
Caelia was not cold hearted, even if she came across as such. She was in fact a kind, caring, beautiful woman who gave people the benefit of a doubt but she didn't put up with anyone's bullshit. She also made her peers wary and cautious, not necessarily fearful, due to her unique appearance. She was an elf, but more than that she had the lightest lavender eyes combined with hair as light and brilliant as glaciers with a touch of the lightest silver. She bore a light blue tribal tattoo over her left eye and sported a trio of scars on her right cheek- having had a nasty encounter when she was younger. She was one of the few actual apostates that wasn't bat shit crazy like the rest scattered throughout the Hinterlands of Ferelden; she was among the few that had chosen to stay out of the fight as much as possible and help out at the Crossroads. Which was where she was recruited into the Inquisition by the Herald of Andraste- a stout dwarf named Garin Cadash- and his companions.
Caelia ignored the stares, something she was all too familiar with, as she looked for the nearest person in charge. She was walking past the stables when she spotted a gruff looking man with a rather impressive beard gaping at her in a way different than the others. Something about him was rather familiar.
"You'll catch a cold if you aren't careful."
Caelia recognized the voice, one she hadn't heard in a very long time. "It can't be..."
"Snowdrop!"
Caelia turned to see Varric, one of the Herald's companions who had helped recruit her. "Varric."
"Glad you made it! I see you've met our resident Grey Warden, Blackwall." Varric said, looking to the gruff man as he joined them.
"I have indeed." Caelia looked at him, then back at Blackwall. 'He seems so familiar... where do I know him from..?'
Blackwall was just as surprised to see her as she was him, having not seen her in twenty-six years, but he was just glad in that moment that she hadn't recognized him.
"Snowdrop here just joined the Inquisition."
Caelia offered him a smile, then turned to Blackwall. "I look forward to working with you, Warden Blackwall." Turning to Varric, she asked, "Where should I report in?"
"I'll take you to the Chantry to meet the others." Varric looked up at Blackwall. "Garin wants you to stop by later, something about needing you for a mission?"
Blackwall nodded, watching Caelia head towards the village with Varric. His heart was racing and his mind was reeling. 'What in the Maker's name is she doing here? Of all places..?'
While Blackwall was mulling things over in his head, Caelia was doing the same.
'Why does he look so familiar to me..? I don't know any Wardens, so where do I recognize him from..?'
"Here we are. War room is straight ahead at the end of the hall. Garin should be inside with the others."
"Thanks, Varric."
"Any time, Snowdrop. You should join us later, in the tavern. Get to know the others."
"I'd love to."
"See you around."
Caelia watched as Varric departed, then headed into the Chantry. When she reached the war room, she knocked on the closed door and waited for an answer.
"Ah, Caelia, glad you made it!" Garin called as he opened the door. "Come in, let me introduce you to everyone."
Blackwall sat in a corner of the tavern, by himself, when some of his companions came in with Caelia. He watched over his tankard as Caelia smiled, laughed, and talked with Varric, Sera, and the Iron Bull. She seemed happy.
'Doesn't look as though she's changed that much...' he thought, letting his mind wander back to the memory of their first meeting.
"Let him go!"
A young boy of thirteen was being beat by some older kids after trying to stop them from hurting a mabari pup. A young elf girl of eleven pushed her way through the crowd, throwing her weight into one of the older boys- knocking him and two others off balance. She grabbed a large stick and stood protectively over the boy and the pup he saved.
"Fucking knife-eared bitch!"
"You're going to pay for that!"
The young girl stood her ground, the stick held like a staff as she took an offensive attack position. "Just you try it, you ingrate shems."
The older boys lunged for her, but were met with well timed and precise strikes until each of them was crumpled into heaps writhing in pain as the dirt and dust settled around them.
"Get out of here!"
The young girl waited until the boys had run off before turning to the young boy she had saved. "Are you both alright?" She asked, offering her hand to help him stand.
Taking it, he nodded and stood with the mabari pup clutched to his chest. "I think he got it worse than I did."
The young girl looked down at the pup and saw he was very weak. "We have to hurry or he isn't going to make it. Come with me." Leading the way, having grabbed his hand, she took him to a hut on the outskirts of town and ushered him inside. "Put him there."
The young boy nodded, placing the mabari pup on the table where she had instructed. He watched as she gathered some herbs and potions, along with some bandages, before hurrying back over to them. He watched worriedly as she went about cleaning the pup's wounds, bandaging them, then held his head up while she gently poured a healing potion into his mouth.
"Will he be OK?"
The young girl nodded. "He needs to rest, but yes he will."
"Thank you... for earlier..." The young boy looked at her, blushing a bit when she smiled.
"Happy to help! I'm Caelia, by the way, Caelia Delisle."
"Thom Rainier."
Blackwall watched from his corner as Caelia was pulled up to her feet and to the center of the tavern as she was urged to sing them a song. When she opened her mouth to sing along to the chosen tune, he had to smile.
"Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, sha ta co ti oh nugga Tír na nÓg. Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, nug a Tír na nÓg." Caelia started, a smile growing at the tune.; it was one of her favorites. "Come, my love, our worlds would part, the gods will guide us across the dark. Come with me and be mine, my love. Stay and break my heart. From the shores through the ancient mists, you bear the mark of my elvhen kiss. Clear the way, I will take you home to eternal bliss." She spun and danced, pulling some of the others up with her. "Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, sha ta co ti oh nugga Tír na nÓg. Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, nug a Tír na nÓg. Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, sha ta co ti oh nugga Tír na nÓg. Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, nug a Tír na nÓg. Tír na nÓg, oh, come beyond the ancient fog! Tír na nÓg, oh, come with me to Tír na nÓg!"
Outside, people heard the melodic voice and light hearted music coming from the tavern and came to see the frivolities for themselves.
"Far away from the land you knew, the dawn of day reaches out to you. Though it feels like a fairy tale, all of this is true." Caelia glanced at Blackwall, a different kind of smile present for him than for the others. "Run with me, have a look around, we built our life over sacred ground. Come, my love, our worlds may part; we'll be safe and sound. Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, sha ta co ti oh nugga Tír na nÓg. Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, nug a Tír na nÓg. Tír na nÓg, oh, come beyond the ancient fog! Tír na nÓg, oh, come with me to Tír na nÓg!" A break in the music came and the crowd clapped along to the beat then Caelia continued.
"Time won't follow the path we came. The world you left, it forgot your name. Stay with me and be mine, my love, spare my heart the pain. Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, sha ta co ti oh nugga Tír na nÓg. Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, nug a Tír na nÓg. Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, sha ta co ti oh nugga Tír na nÓg. Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna, nug a Tír na nÓg. Tír na nÓg, oh, come beyond the ancient fog! Tír na nÓg, oh, come with me to Tír na nÓg! Tír na nÓg, oh, come with me to Tír na nÓg! Come with me to Tír na nÓg!" The music came to an end as Caelia a final, "Come with me to Tír na nÓg!" and stood motionless save her body moving with each pant as she tried to catch her breath.
She smiled when the crowd applauded her performance and she glanced back over at Blackwall, seeing him get up and head for the door. She waited a moment before excusing herself to get some fresh air, but when she got outside, she didn't see Blackwall anywhere. Figuring he was avoiding her, she sighed and went out towards the lake. The chill of the winter breeze blowing through the mountains and the valley where Haven sat was welcome against her skin. She stopped and breathed in the crisp air, smiling as she sighed in content.
"Need a bit of fresh air?"
Caelia turned to see Blackwall coming up to her. "As it would seem of you, too." She smiled a bit. "So do you believe in the Inquisition, Warden Blackwall?"
"I do. Garin has earned my respect, as have the other members of the Inquisition. They are truly seeking to set things right again."
"Good." She offered him another smile, then turned to head back into the village. "I'm going to turn in for the night. I'm sure I'll see you around."
Blackwall gave her a bow of the head and watched as she headed back into the village, her glacial-silvery hair swaying behind her. He sighed, silently kicking himself for not telling her it was him- her old friend- but something about her not recognizing him and knowing it was him made it easier for him to keep his secret.
'I'm sorry, Cae...'