Writing this out of disappointment of the lack of Varric romance. Obviously, he's the best choice... and yet... nothing. Almost like how Joker (from Mass Effect) wasn't romance-able. Frickin' rip off man. RIP OOOOFF!
Anyway, first story written in over a year, a little depressing but that's how life goes.
Starts off during the Redlciff Castle Showdown with Alexius (Hushed Whispers Quest) – just a missed opportunity.
X.x.X.x
"Were we sent to the past or the future..." Great question. Sorella would guess that it was probably the future, she couldn't think of a time when Redcliff was covered with Red Lyrium Veins. Still, it was best to investigate before making any assumptions. Dorian and herself continued through the halls and tried to avoid stepping on the lyrium just out of caution. Once they found Fiona it was confirmed, future – and it was not a good future. "The lyrium, it's growing out... it's growing out of you?" Sorella asked horrified.
"The longer you're near it... eventually... you become it... then... then they harvest your body for more..." She struggled, the pain she must feel.
"Can I help you?" Sorella fidgeted in her inability to help.
"No, it's too late for me. Go back in time, fix this. Stop it from ever happening! Hurry!"
"We'll fix this, I swear."
With that the elf turned and went back the way she came, heading for the corridor opposite. So many passages! After turning to he right, then her left, glancing back to her right, she stepped towards the left and opened the door to the descent into the lower cells. Maybe there were others, other she could save. She thought of those she had with her when the amulet flashed; Varric and Iron Bull... she wondered if they were still here, tortured as Fiona was – she shuddered at the thought. Briefly she thought then of those still back at Haven, did they come to aid a year ago when the four of them didn't return?
She took a deep breath and sighed at the thought that Varric and Iron Bull didn't make it out alive or were never rescued. "Sorella?" A familiar voice called, and she stilled her body but turned her head to face the voice.
"Varric!" She breathed, her voice barely carried to where he sat slumped against his cell wall. He looked weak and that burned a fire of vengeance and rage in parts of her she had hoped to keep hidden. For the sake of being cliché she made a silent vow that: Alexius would pay.
Varric grunted with effort as he tried to move up the wall to stand but didn't have enough strength to make it up all the way. Sorella ran to the cell and nearly slammed herself against the bars, making fists around the iron she called his name again. Varric offered a weak smile before slumping down the wall again. Frantic and her hands shaking, she pulled the keys from her belt to unlock the cell door before entering in and kneeling beside him. With trembling hands she took his face in her hands and looked him up and down, he was thin and glowing with the red lyrium that Fiona had said would be growing within him. "You're alive," he grunted, offering up a small smirk. "... and escaped!" Each breath he released, red lyrium dust filled the air as though he was breathing into winter.
"We never had to escape." Dorian corrected and Sorella dropped her hands from his face to rest on Varric's chest, her fingers brushing against his exposed chest. "We were sent forward in time, it's only been a few minutes for us... not the year it's been for you."
Sorella's hand twitched with the need to silence Dorian's lack of empathy to Varric's pain but Varric - interested - looked up at her with the question of confirmation of Dorian's statement, "It's true." She dismissed the topic of time travel and focused on her friend's situation, "Maker, Varric. What have they done to you?" She felt a lump form in her throat and she fidgeted with his shirt, anxious but unsure of what to do to help.
"Hey, I look damn good for a dead man." He laughed, though it was genuine it was strained. He let out a couple deep breaths, as though he were winded from the effort of speaking. "Admit it."
Sorella tried to hide her trembling lip with a smile but couldn't control her shaking hands as she cupped the side of his face with her left hand, brushing his cheek with her thumb. His hair had come out of his usual uptie and now hung around his shoulders, long and unkept from a year of being in a cell with no way of keeping up with hygiene. "I'm so sorry, Varric." He wouldn't have been here like this if she hadn't brought him along.
Varric leaned into her gentle touch, sighing contently, as though he hadn't had physical contact the entire year, which was probably the case – but when she apologized he pulled away and glared at her. "Why are you apologizing?" He grabbed her hand and held it to his chest, a sign of understanding and comfort - of affection -on his part. Even as he questioned her, he understood her feelings but needed to express - in his own way - that she didn't need to apologize.
"I should've been here, or stopped it... or... not brought you with me to face Alexius." The mage stumbled over her words.
"Nothing you could've done... could've stopped this." He shook his head and sat away from the wall to emphasize the strength in his words he was trying to offer. As he opened his mouth to continue there was a contraction of the red lyrium building in his body. He shuddered under her touch and she called his name in reaction. Bracing himself on the wall behind him he writhed in pain.
"Varric!" She cried and without thinking about what using her magic would do to the red lyrium inside him she attempted to ease his pain- casting a numbing spell over his body, the magic equivalent to Elfroot. He relaxed but the pain still reflected in his eyes.
Dorian reminded Sorella of his presence there by saying he was going to scout ahead, "see if there were anymore prisoners and possibly find a route to get to Alexius." Sorella nodded, though never took her eyes away from Varric's face. The prestigious mage took his leave and went in search of others.
Sighing, Varric allowed himself to rest on her; they faced one another so he leaned forward and rested his forehead on her shoulder, his arms at his sides, while Sorella wrapped her arms around his shoulders, offering him comfort - something he hadn't had in over a year. Her mind flickered to Fiona and the pain she was in and she couldn't help but think Varric was in the same, agonizing pain. She cast another spell, this time attempting to give him the energy to believe he was feeling "better". Combined with the numbing spell, it should allow him to feel as though healed. He groaned and she brought her left hand to the back of his head while her right remained on his back, between his shoulder blades.
After a moment of silence Varric spoke up, "Sorella..." he sat up and she released her embrace. "If you want to fix this, if you wanna take down Alexius, I'm in." she followed his figure with hers gaze locked on his as he stood Sorella remained on her knees so that he stood over her at full height, "Too bad I won't remember my valiance to write about it..." He winked at her and straightened out his clothes before pulling his hair back up with a bit of twine that she offered him.
"I'll tell you all about it when I get back." Sorella replied, her heart was heavy but she stood and put on a brave face, at least he looks better. He had followed her gaze as she stood to her full height and smiled, a grin that met his eyes.
"I look forward to it."
X.x.X.x
"An hour?! That's unacceptable!" Lelianna cursed.
The five of them turned to face the large double doors they'd come through to face Alexius, who now lay dead on the stone floors. They had had to go all around the palace to collect shards, just to open the heavy doors but Sorella knew that the demons would have no quarrel with coming through – they wouldn't have to go on a mini quest for shards, they'd just break it down.
She cast a wary glimpse to Varric, who was already looking to her, only to have him look away and share a glance with Bull. "No..." She mumbled and shook her head before they even announced their unanimous decision to sacrifice themselves. Like Varric, Bull was infected with the red lyrium but was much less vulnerable to it because of his body mass. Bull had much more body fat and muscle for the lyrium to infect and weaken – therefore he was virtually unaffected. Varric wouldn't last more than a minute against the monsters outside, not in his condition. "No." She shook her head, "No no no... I won't let you two commit suicide!" She shouted, her voice cracking with emotion.
"Ella, we're dead already." Varric reasoned and shook his head, "besides, if this works... I'll be fine on the other side." He looked to Dorian for confirmation.
"He's right," Dorian nodded then looked to Sorella. "We make this work and the people we see now, the future we see now, will never have happened."
Future Lelianna was more impatient than the one they knew in their present and was huffing during the exchange, "We don't have time for debate." She shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Varric, Bull, go. I'll be the last line of defense." Everyone nodded at one another with conviction except Sorella.
Varric walked up to her and the elf shook her head, "What if it doesn't work..." She was supposed to be tougher than this, her Keeper taught he to be strong – 'emotions got in the way'... but how could she not be upset? Varric was her touchstone, he'd been the voice of reason when everyone else was bull headed and war bent.
"It will, Ella, I'll see you on the other side." He smiled and took her dainty hand in his rough large one and kissed it gently. Sorella closed her eyes and relished the feeling of his lips on her skin. "Rămas bun." He wished her farewell and departed, they held hands until they couldn't any longer; as she remained where she was and he walked away. Her hand dropped to her side just as the doors closed behind the two brave men willing to hold the line for the future – a better future.
Dorian started the spell while the sound of battle carried from behind the double doors. At times, Sorella thought she could hear Varric's voice... but it would be drowned out by battle cries or shrieks from the demons. She hated not being able to help, to cast spells to invigorate them, or to heal, to defend.
The doors burst open then and Varrics body was hurled through like nothing, his limps tumbling around him as he rolled across the floor, "Varric!" She prepared herself to run and pulled out her staff to bring him back but Dorian grabbed her arm to hold her beside him. Lelianna was quoting a prayer while fighting off the horde of fiends by herself and seeing her fight without support became the last straw for Sorella. She lit with mana and cast a defensive spell around her wearied friend before dispelling and healing Lelianna. A moment later Lelianna was run through with an arrow, she cried out in pain just as the rift opened and she fell to her knees before Sorella could react she was yanked through by her arm.
X.x.X.x
She stepped from the rift with Dorian beside her and she snarled at Alexius, "It's over -" She thought of a thousand different names to call him but was cut off by Dorian who had his own quip to throuw at the man gone mad by his love for his dying son.
Alexius gave up without struggle, compared to the last confrontation, and the tension fell away from her so quickly she almost buckled. Sorella looked around herself then, looking for a specific face. When she found it, she could almost feel her face crack with her smile which was quickly returned by Varric – though he looked slightly confused.
X.x.X.x
"The mages as allies, a progressive woman you are." Varric approached Sorella as she sat, cross-legged, by a crackling fire.
Sorella, smiled as she looked up at Varric, trying not to look at him as a dying version of himself. "I had to think fast, and people work better when they work together versus being forced into labor."
"No no, I agree... I wasn't judging your decision..." He stood beside her and pointed at his feet, to the ground he stood on. "Anyone sitting here?" She smacked her lips and gave him a playful glare that said, 'really?'. "Good." He smiled and sat down beside her.
They sat in silence for awhile, watching as the logs popped and crackled with the flames dancing around to the music they [the fire] created. The smell of burning log and smoke filled the air, a smell that brought her comfort.
"You died a hero." She heard the words fill the air but didn't register as her own until Varric replied with a 'what?'. Oops... "The future you, well, the bad future you... he wanted me to tell you that you were valiant in the last hours... and you were. You sacrificed yourself to... to preserve a better future." She paused and looked over to him, no real reaction. "-I mean, I wasn't- I'm not surprised that you were... that you did... that you are – brave I mean..."
"Whoa, Ella!" Varric held up a hand, which silenced her effectively. "Thank you for telling me." He offered a smile and a wink and Sorella visibly relaxed. She thought then about mentioning her feelings, how he'd been so gentle with her... but she didn't. It wasn't the time... she'd only known him for a little over a month – don't be ridiculous, Ella – whoa, since when do I call myself Ella? Varric was the only one to give her a nickname of any sort, let alone one that she would actually reference herself. She liked it.
She decided then, maybe it was an "okay" time... with a war going on, and her time traveling experience... she was shown just how fast life could go by, and how little time you had to say goodbye. What harm could be done in saying something? Aside from ruining a perfectly good friendship, and possibly losing one of the only people I truly believe to have my back. Just as she opened her mouth to begin her confession, Cassandra came from the gate of Haven, "Sorella, war council – now." Sorella closed her mouth, rolled her eyes, and groaned. She liked Cassandra well enough but at times she was simply irritating.
"Better get a move on, Ella." Varric encouraged, "I'll be here when you're finished." He winked and she stood, resisting the urge to hug him, kiss him, run away with him... whoa! Emotions! Too high! Too quick! Maybe now WASN'T the best time... Sorella offered him a brief smile before taking off after Cassandra, casting one quick glance over her shoulder she watched as Varric immediately pulled out Bianca and started polishing her, then there would always be that "other thing" - the woman behind the name.
"Today, please, before the breach opens back up and pours out all of hell's ghouls on us." Cassandra barked, impatiently, bringing Sorella back to the moment at hand. Maybe there wouldn't be a time for Varric and herself – it was too bad the amulet couldn't tell her any future, then she could just see if it was at all possible... or if he was even interested. Sorella followed Cassandra back into the city gates and up the stairs to the Chantry, only time would tell if Varric and Sorella had a future together. The only downside to time was how little of it they had.