Warning: Dragon Age: Inquisition spoilers!

Rated T for language/concepts.

-Chapter One-

Fire and Ice

Fayne gripped the paper in her hands, closing her eyes. It couldn't be. They couldn't be...

"Inquisitor...I'm so sorry." Josephine said, as they all looked at her. It had been her fault. She had let the light of the darkspawn onto her clan. And, as a result, despite her sending her forces there, they had been destroyed. She gripped the paper harder, it beginning to smolder at the tips. She didn't have her staff, but it didn't matter. The paper burst into flame, and fell to the floor, as she turned her heel, and wordlessly left the paper to burn to ash upon the carpet. There would be a mark. She didn't much care.

She walked through the hall, her eyes beginning to burn as the tears started to well up, making her all but blind as she walked by memory through Josephine's chamber, and through the door past the judgement chair. All her judgement hadn't been good enough to help her family. It all felt meaningless.

"Your worship..."

"I'm not anything worshipful." She said sharply, as she brushed unseeingly past the guard. It was rude, and she knew that she would have to make amends later, but she was in such a state of loss. Her entire family...darkspawn food. A few ashes from the paper fluttered to the floor, as she turned sharply to the left, and opened the door to the place she designated as her 'own.'

She immediately almost ran into the banister, as she gripped it, tears beginning to flow now that she was alone. Her shoulder length brown hair obscured her face, as she leaned over the banister, and covered her face in her hands, letting out a soft, muffled sob. She remembered the place in which she left her clan to travel to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. She remembered her friend, Tallen playing tag with her during their childhood. She remembered her parents, her brother, and The Keeper. The Keeper had just found out that another mage had been born, so had sent her out into the world to observe. Observe the talks at the Temple.

"Fuck the temple. Fuck Andraste, and fuck the Maker. Fuck all of this Andrastianism bullshit!" She said with growing loudness down onto the empty hall below, leaning on the railing with her elbows. "Fuck the darkspawn, and fuck Corypheus!"

She stood back up, and squeezed the railing, feeling an icy cold flow through her to her hands. The railing became cold, with a heavy frost enveloping it.

"...I didn't know that you knew frost magic." A quiet voice said behind her.

She froze, startled, before wiping her eyes quickly. "...I don't..." She said, bowing her head. "...normally. It just...came out." She said, her voice strong, but wavering on the ends, like a thread that was threatening to snap.

She felt his presence move to the side of her, her face flushing. She had not intended for him to see her like this, of all people. She needed to remain strong for everyone, it was best to hide her sorrow in the shadows. She allowed her hair to further hide her face, as if she was still studying the hallway below.

He didn't touch her, but he stood close, observing the frost that clung to the wooden railing. "It appears you have discovered a new talent within yourself." He said, his words careful, and light, as he ran a hand over the thick frost delicately, before his grey blue eyes moved from it, and looked into hers. "Vhenan..."

She felt her heart leap into her throat as her green eyes looked into his slowly, before looking away and swallowing. "They...they're gone. My whole clan...I couldn't save them." She willed her eyes to still the tears that had threatened to fall again, before gritting her teeth. "All the power of the Inquisition...and I couldn't save my family." She said with anger, before letting out a breath.

He gently drew her into a hug, as she wrapped her arms around his middle loosely, resting her head on his shoulder.

He held her quietly, as she began to gently sob into his shoulder. This alone had had the power to reduce her to such a state, though the glitter in her eyes had not dimmed, even when he had looked into them just a moment before. She would weather this, just as she had weathered things previous, like a tree bending with the wind, but not breaking. She was strong.