Thank you for the review-chapter edited for better reading ( I hope :) )

Drakken awoke to a soft rustle bolting to sitting upright he glared to find the source of the sound was a elven girl scared out of her wits by his sudden reaction. Where was he? Was he home? The Dalish never lived in houses. No he was somewhere else..the breech! Now he remembered! Solas that elf apostate has popped his shoulder back in and Drakken had lead them all through the mountain. So lost in putting pieces together he barely registered what the girl said before she ran off. He had closed the breech and they were..happy with him now? He would never make sense of things.

The elf took a survey of his surroundings as he stumbled out of bed, the room was simple but well kept, a fire had been tended to in the hearth. He found it a bit disturbing to note while he was unconscious someone had stripped his worn dalish armor off, bathed him and dressed him in a black form fitting woolen coat with matching black leather pants. On the table nearby was two iron pitchers and trays of meat, cheese, and fruits. Placed neatly on a bench at the foot of the bed was human made armor, the brass of scale mail cleverly forged to look well..just like scales, on top of that lay a great sword in its back holster, and beneath a heavy fur cloak of black wolf pelt. So shemlen planned to what, feed him, armor him, arm him then send him to trail? It made no sense! He had to admit he was famished and thirsty he wasted no time in drinking the entire first pitcher, goblet ignored. He turned his gaze to the door as murmured voices began to grow. He couldn't make out what the voices were saying, maybe he ought to be armored he thought.

The Herald slowly opened the door before he even knew he was the Herald, the gathered crowd began to cheer, the soldiers saluted him. Herald of Andraste he heard them call him. Surely the dread wolf was playing tricks with his ears he didn't even follow the Shemlen gods! A human woman with a small girl clutching her waist reached out to grab his hand as he passed "Thank you for stopping the demons!" Drakken would have pulled away but the look of adoration froze him in his tracks and instead he gently took back his hand and grumbled a "..welcome" and with that he stalked off to the chantry. The whole world has gone mad he thought to himself. A heavy wooden door barred his path in the Chantry as heated voices argued from beyond it, not bothering to knock he pushed open the door and stormed into the "war room."

"Bind the prisoner and ready him for trail!" the mousey cleric he recalled from the bridge yelled. Roderick, Drakken thought he was named.

"Stay that order and leave." the surly woman he learned was Seeker Cassandra demanded. That left just the four in the room, the chancellor, the seeker, the spy master and..what? What exactly was he in all this he pondered? The elf leaned against the wall as the humans bickered, there was no point in arguing with shemlen they never listen. As Drakken figured it his only course of action was to deal with whatever they decided.


That argument was weeks ago since then Cassandra's confidence grew she had made the right choice in not allowing Chancellor Roderick to take the elf to trial. The elf..no Lord Lavellan had done everything she asked of him then some. They asked for him to meet a cleric and while he was at it he clothed and feed the refugees. They asked for horses and got the finest steeds plus the loyalty of a cult. They asked him to hire the Bull's Chargers Mercenaries and the Herald brought back them and The Blades of Hessarian. She asked him to look into the disappearance of soldiers in a bog he brought them back and Avvar ally. What ever they asked of him the elf delivered with the same headstrong determination he had in battle.

Drakken was tired of the arguments, templers or mages, mages or templers all while the breech remained. As long as that breech was there he couldn't go home even if Cassandra would allow him to, something had to be done. Without consulting Cassandra or the others Drakken Lavellan lead Solas, Varric the dwarf and Blackwall their new grey warden ally to the village of Red Cliff. He intended to at least to meet the mages of the rebellion only to be faced with Tevinter Magisters instead. The meeting seemed hopeful, tentative at first perhaps this Magister would lend the Inquisition aid. That as until Felix the Magister's son seemed to became suddenly ill. Slumping against the elf as if for support the strange young man slipped a note into Levellan's hand. "Meet me at the chantry, you are in danger" the ominous note read. It was a trap for sure, still if he was ever to go home to his clan he needed at least one group to help him seal the breach.

"You know it's a trap Lanky." Varric pointed out the obvious with a nickname meant to poke fun at the Heralds tall but lithe form.

"Josephine already told you Varric not to call him that in public, the Herald must be treated with the utmost dignity." Solas chided.

"Oh yeah, ok Chuckles." the dwarf quipped back a smirk on his beardless face.

Solas barely had time to roll his eyes before Lavellen shoved the note into his armor "We're going to the Chantry."

" 'Bout time." added Blackwall his arms crossed sullenly. It always amused the Herald this human had more beard then the dwarf, still Blackwall had a sadness that lingered just where Drakken couldn't grasp it. The Herald knew precious little of wardens other then they were necessary in stopping a blight and Blackwall seemed like a good man Shemlen or not.

What they found as they flung open the heavy double doors of the chantry wasn't Felix, it was a rift and one lone mage fighting a endless tide of demons. "It's about time you got here." the mustached mage said almost gleefully. He got no more than a cursory glance from the Herald as the elf pushed past the mage to deal with a new round of demons. Did he just get ..dismissed. Dorian of house Pavus dismissed by a elf? What was the world coming too, Dorian thought as he finished of the last demon. It wasn't till the rift was sealed that Dorian walked up intending to stand next to the elf that he realized this was unlike any elf he'd ever met.

What turned about to face Dorian nearly snarled at him, massive sword unsheathed he looked...feral. Dorian already knew by the way the elf fought he was seeing something new but, this? The black haired elf stood eye to eye with the Tevinter and leveled a piercing look, his shoulders squared rather than bowed made him look taller than any elf Dorian had seen. For what seemed like a eternity the two shared a battle of stares. The elf was defiantly dangerous but Dorian liked playing and poking at dangerous things so he smugly said breaking the silence "You don't know how that works do you? You just wave your fingers and "poof" rift is gone?" Oh the way this one's face looked enraged, what fun!

Drakken's only reply was a sneer at the flamboyant mage.

"Easy there Lanky, he's a ass but not our enemy..I don't think." Varric said as he drifted to the Heralds other side clasping his beloved crossbow "Bianca" to his back "Yup, defiantly a ass."

Solas cleared his throat "Lord Lavellen I believe Varric is correct, this man may not be our enemy." making sure he emphasized the "Lord" part.

"So we what, trust a spoiled Tevinter Magister, isn't one enough?" Blackwall said his dislike for Dorian apparent right away.

Dorian tapped his chin, will wonders never cease a "Lord" elf. The mage cleared his voice and explained exactly why he was not a Magister. He went on to explain the intricate theory of time magic as well. Dorian was sure the feral elf or the surly unwashed warden would never fathom the theory as he watched Drakken sheath his sword.

"So you're telling me that the slowing and speeding up of time and possibly even these particular rifts are a result of your former mentors time altering spell?" the Herald asked as he sized Dorian up.

Hrmm...I shall have to remember he is smarter than your average barbarian. I wonder if he's one of those Dalish, don't they eat human babies and summon demon wolves with blood magic? Dorian thought to himself with a grin, he so loved fanciful tales! It was then that Felix finally showed stating "Whatever he did, he did it to get to you." as he looked at Drakken.

The Herald frowned, he still wasn't used to all the attention let alone the object of someone's obsession for whatever reason. Drakken rubbed the back of his neck, the whole thing had him nervous. Finally he held up his gauntleted hand before Blackwall's accusations that Dorian and Felix were lying turned into a heated argument sure to gain attention. "We're going back to Haven we're outplayed for the moment and the next move belongs to this Magister Alexius." With that the elf Herald turned on his heels and strides out of the Chantry.

"I know what you're thinking Dorian, I don't think the elf will have you." Felix shook his head.

"What!? Not have me? Felix I think you've caught a fever I'll have him begging for me within a week! Besides I was aiming for the angry bearded one" with that Dorian smirked set out for Haven though on foot he would arrive long after the Herald and his companions.


"Cullen we cannot leave a Magister at our doorstep!" Leliana scowled at the tall blond man as they argued in the Chantry. Drakken had returned just moments ago weary and painted in road dust, somehow Leliana already knew what happened. The red haired spy master always seemed one step ahead making Drakken glad he wasn't on her bad side.

"And we can't damn well send the Herald into a trap! He should have never gone to Redcliff to start with!" Cullen slammed a hand on the war table sending some of the pieces used for troop movements scattering.

"Surely the mages would rather work with us." added Josephine the rather charming Antivan diplomat who seemed forever behind her candle and scrolls.

"I don't know what to do." admitted Cassandra for once not acting before she thought the scar on her cheek adding to her visage of perpetual anger.

Drakken pinched the bridge of his nose till this point he had leaned silently against the far wall. He was still perplexed on why they insisted on dragging him this room if only to listen to them argue. Pushing off the wall he shifted his weight and held up his right hand as if to bade them to silence, the one unblemished by the mark. The other three had learned already this motion meant the elf was finally going to talk. Cassandra admired the Heralds ability to keep silent unless he had something to say. Josephine in stark contrast found it a bit irksome as she had to pry answers from the elf. The ambassador was used to nobles more than happy to talk about their opinions, themselves, and how great they were.

"We're meeting the Magister, at least I know he wants me dead unlike the Lord Seeker, I have no idea what that man is thinking" always with a tone that brokered little room for debate however that did nothing to stop Commander Cullen from speaking out. As far as the Commander was concerned it was his job to protect their Herald.

"Redcliff is unassailable Herald if you go there my troops cannot help you, you'd be alone and outnumbered." the commander said in a bit more docile tones.

A gust of cold wind as the heavy doors flew open bade all four to stare, rather hostilely as one arrogant Tevinter mage strolled into the room as if invited. Cullen's hand went to his blade as the aide stammered from behind Dorian "My lords and ladies I tried to stop him, he wouldn't listen!"

"Of course he didn't" Drakken shook his head. "Dorian."

"Oh do call off your lion" Dorian waved at Cullen as the Commander sheathed his blade in a huff. "I did say I wanted to be here if you went after Alexius."

"Herald you know this..man?" Cullen was still glaring at Dorian as he spoke.

"Dorian of House Pavus of Vyrantium, student to Magister Alexius, that Magister we were just discussing." Leliana had apparently done her homework as always.

"Former student." Dorian corrected her "And I studied the magic Alexius used to alter time, you need me. Besides every good army need a devilishly handsome mage!"

"He could be part of the trap, do you really want him at your back Herald?" added Cassandra.

Drakken paused for a moment weighing the options "Why warn us of a trap in the first place, why not just offer a pretense of friendship?"

"To gain our trust no doubt." Cassandra replied.

"We may need him." the Drakken answered.

"Fine" Cassandra growled "But I am coming with, to watch him."

"Now that we're settled, get the blasted mage out of here if he's a spy he doesn't need to hear details and of he's not well, he still doesn't." Cullen has this habit Drakken noted, of telling people they need to do something as he was doing it, hand firmly grasped on Dorian's arm Cullen bodily pushed the Tevinter out the door and slammed it shut.


The nerve of these southerners! Dorian thought. Did he just witness the elf in charge again? He offered Mother Giselle; who had been standing in the hallway what he thought was a adorable little wave only to be scowled at by her so he settled for pacing while the four in the war room sorted out details. It was then he heard a familiar dwarf voice .

"So Sparkler decide Redcliff wasn't backwoods enough?" the dwarf asked; his shirt wide open showing of the hair that wasn't on his chin.

"Oh no I decided a true southern experience was traipsing alone through a bitterly cold mountain pass to a quaint little village that hasn't even learned that gaps between wood boards doesn't make for the warmest walls." Dorian said with a smirk.

It was then the doors opened and the four leaders of this Inquisition plus the Herald filed out "Find Dorian a horse, Cassandra, Varric your with me." Drakken barked as he strode past with only a sidelong look at Dorian. "I am going to go saddle my hart meet at the gates." Dorian quickly followed the dwarf and the black haired seeker to the stables as they fell in behind the elf.

"I don't like this." Cullen said to Leliana his amber eyes watching the front doors of the chantry the foursome had left by.

"Drakken is no push over and Cassandra will not let anything happen to him, besides my agents will do their job." the spymaster replied always confident in her people.

"Maker let's hope so." Cullen replied as he himself strode out to return to training the recruits.

Cassandra did not like the way Dorian watched the Herald as he rode point on the massive antlered elk he preferred over a horse. The Herald raised his hand to stop the company for the night then urged his surefooted hart up a steep hillside to get a view as the guards set camp, undoubtedly to find the best spots to set watch. Cassandra had walked her horse to be even with Dorian's as she turned to study the Tevinter's face. Dorian had been watching Drakken and his mount pace the ridge of the hill the mage's lips were turned up into a wistful smile as the setting sun caught Drakken in profile. Cassandra blinked, was the Tevinter admiring their Herald? She followed his gaze until apparently she was caught staring at the elf as well. "He's rather handsome isn't he? That firm set jaw, the way his lips press together when he's thinking, and those eyes!" Dorian chirped.

Cassandra flushed "I have no idea what you are talking about!" with a huff she turned her steed back toward the camp to unsaddle it.

The whole exchange made Dorian smirk, so many people to poke! Drakken and his elk descended the hillside nodding to Dorian as he passed having no idea he was the subject of such talk. The party settled in for the night, the next leg of the ride needed to begin just before dawn if they intended to reach Redcliff before night fall.