Hello Everyone! This story is quite an old story back in... whatever year Inquisition came out lol.
I have decided to come back and edit this little piece and then continue onward with it.
This story I am taking away from the direction of the game and making a spin off. The key events will still occur but happen differently. So you will all notice the change once it gets there but I do hope that you all enjoy! Be ready for new chapters to come!
Danni~
The cool air of the dawn washed against the olive skinned female while she stood perched outside the main gates of Haven. With every slow intake of air she felt the cool air fill her lungs easing the tightness that was present there, before releasing the now warmed air out her nostrils. Presently all she wore was some loose slacks and gauze bindings from her ribs up to her shoulder before being draped in a thick, wool blanket.
Her last mission into the Hitherlands proved most irritating when her dwarven companion foolishly raced after a Red Lyrium dealer only to be jumped by a good five or six Red Templars. If she had not jumped in after the dwarf he would have been killed…. But as a mage she had very little real protection for herself, of course she was not made to take a sword directly. But her background had proven somewhat useful for she had blocked most of the swords that came her way with her staff before Cassandra and Bull came charging in. Even with that it was clear that her coat didn't do much to protect her from the sharp metal, seeing how she had a huge cut up her chest that oozed out crimson at a steady rate.
The image of the blood thirsty Templars fresh on her mind caused her to release a heavy sigh before shaking her head now reaching up to run a hand through her pure white strands that was messily tied back in a braid.
What was I thinking rushing in there? Varric is a dwarf and has thicker skin then an elf like me… damn Josephine and Cullen are going to have my head when we meet today.
She was told explicitly to be "careful" and not be a hero who throws themselves blindly into the line of fire. But how was she supposed to just sit there and wait for others to come to her friend's aid? Now she shook her head at that word she just expressed.
Friend. Ha…
She was deluding herself in thinking any of these people saw her more than just their key or the mage. She saw those untrusting eyes as she walked through Haven unsupervised. Even the gazes of her companions were hesitant… not just solely on the fact she was a mage but amongst mages, her "kind" looked at her warily.
The mark. The thing that painted her special and touched was, in reality, seen as something foreign and dangerous. She was a mage and welcomed by other mages before the Conclave but now… she was something entirely different. Not an elf. Not a mage. And certainly not normal. She was alone, once again.
Everyone considered her different, an outsider, one that very few allowed complete trust. A bomb with a timer set to an unknown time, ready to blow if they didn't stare at it… every single second of every single day. It was like being the only exotic creature in an entire zoo. So much space and distance put between herself and others that it was just utter maddening.
"You could catch a cold out here, you know?" The dark voice echoed out in the natural silence of the mountains stopping her thoughts and causing her to turn her head to find none other than Commander Cullen there. Walking down the steps and out of the gate to stop by her side he looked out to the gorgeous scene before them. She, however, glanced up towards the Commander catching his sharp and muscular definitions through his armor and on his face. It was no secret that the Commander was known for being incredibly handsome and very personable…. But she could not help herself. The way his lovely blonde hair waved perfectly atop his head and framed that chiseled face of perfection just made her heart sink. Even the scar that crawled up from his chin just intensified the fact of his manliness and masculinity.
If his hair sets naturally like that… then I am most fortunate to see it.
Her look of admiration soon shifted into embarrassment as she caught herself staring at him so bluntly. She turned from him as she pulled the blanket, that shielded the rest of her body, over her head to hood her face clinging the cloth to her body even tighter. "….you should not have blindly gone after Varric…" His voice now spoke out breaking the silence she chose not to fill causing her body to tense slightly. She now moved her head to look up with hooded face to catch his gaze.
It was filled with concern as he glanced down her barely visible bandaged body which almost… almost… caused to her to giggle. For at the last second she caught it… that gaze, that emotion that registered with everyone. The look of fear behind eyes that did not see her for Evelyn... but as a mage. That same look she got from Templars back at her Circle… Then the slight spasm in his strong arm that indicated that he was ready and prepared to move to his sword at any moment. That look she wished with every breath of her being that she could get rid of from people… but such was not but dreams. Instantly her face faded into a stone cold expression now turning her head back to the view as she remained silent for the longest of time.
"...what you all see as recklessness, I see a gamble that save my companion's life and it was well worth it…. I will never regret throwing myself out to save another. That might surprise you Commander but I care for people just as much as everyone else." She could hear his lips take in a sharp amount of air to retort but she would not let him as she turned around now walking through the gate continuing to speak.
"Everyone else can and will throw themselves to save others…. I am expected to live long enough to close the Breach… well I can promise you that not only will I close the Breach but I will save any I can. So sitting and watching other die will not be my motives. In other words, I will not stop and yes I know I am vital to that Breach." With only a short pause her hooded figure looked behind her as a viridescent gaze pierced through the man that gave him true cause to flinch.
"If I let everyone die to get me up to that point then there will be no one left to save from the Breach….. Good evening, Commander." She left no room for him to comment on her words or to stop her, for she was up those stairs faster than she imagined it and off towards her bunk to sleep off the irritation.
The air within the war room was clearly tense and filled with eyes pinned on the Herald who had perched herself in a chair opposite of the Advisers, her arms crossed and her posture ridged. Something was clearly bothering the elf for she looked ready to snap at anyone who dared question her but no one dared at the moment. With bright emerald eyes darting around to the others the elf caught little ticks that gave away the fact that they were all ready to defend themselves from her... and this pissed her off to no end.
The way Josephine's hands twitched each time her green eyes settled on the ambassador, the way Cullen's hand that usually remained perched on the jeweled end loosely was now uncomfortably gripping it, and the way the Seeker's eyes darted away from hers awkwardly when they made eye contact. With a sigh the Herald finally grew tired of the tense air now opening her lips and breaking it with a harsh demeanor.
"Would you like me to leave before I cause you all to have ulcer's or what?"
"Are...you alright. Evelyn?" The Antivan woman asked right after her harsh words causing the elf to simply stare down at the map and at each piece as she spoke in response.
"If you are all here to reprimand me for my actions in saving Varric's life, then save yourself the breath. I don't regret it and I do not want to discuss it further. I got my full from the Commander... now what is our next move." The Commander shifted awkwardly under the other two women's gazes before he cleared his throat now deciding it best not to challenge that statement.
"We need allies... the Templars or the Mages would provide us-...you with the power to seal the breach permanently. And seeing how that the Mage's have reached out to us already and that you are... well..."
"No." The elf quickly stated causing the others to pause and look at her small frame.
"No?" The Seeker questioned simply causing the mage to look up and see the confusion on their faces, which surprised her since she thought the answer was clear.
"...Just because I am a mage does not mean that I will always agree and go to them... I have already thought about this. It is clear to see that the Mage's and Templars have been taken by... someone. So the conundrum is who do we save and who do we let fall into the grips of this person. The Templars are the obvious choice, since without them no one in this world would be able to see a mage as nothing but evil. Without the Templars we will have no defense against any mage... I did not and still do not agree with how the mage's have been dealt with but if anyone can change them for the good it is the Inquisition. I trust them here as much as I trust the mage's here... we need the Templars." She didn't think her words were so weird to accept but the looks of disbelief that crossed the entire room was something she will never forget.
That will teach them for thinking me as some mag blinded by the desire for freedom from the Circles.
Her thoughts rang out clearly in her head before the doors behind her opened up and through them Leliana stepped through carrying a piece of parchment. "Well I am glad you feel that way, Herald. Because I just got word of where the Templars are hiding...if this is your final decision then let us move on this." Everyone seemed put together again as they all nodded when the elf had turned back to face them all now.
The elf sighed glad to at least put some ease to those you ran this rag tag band of warriors now nodding herself causing the Spymaster to smile and place a piece on a specified place on the map. "Then to Therinfal Redoubt you go."