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Chapter II: The Reign of Shadows
Cassandra Pentaghast stormed down the halls of the makeshift dungeon with the fire and fury of a dragon dancing in her eyes. The events of last few weeks had sent the Seeker of Truth turned Right Hand of Divine Justinia down a spiral of shaken faith. Arriving back to Ferelden after capturing an irksome, mouthy dwarven writer from Kirkwall and interrogating him for the location of the Champion of Kirkwall; Seeker Pentaghast was pummeled with the news of an explosion that rocked the Divine Conclave and wiped out the lives of all attendance including the Most Holy Divine Justinia V… All lives were lost save for one. The wrath bellowed in the hollow of her breast like an unquenchable inferno when she imagined the prisoner who wandered out of the Fade; suspecting that the blood of those innocent souls brought to the Maker's side was all on the woman's hands. With shaking hands, Cassandra analyzed the reports from the apothecary Adan on the condition of the prisoner. The prisoner went from clammy and near the brink of death to stable vitals and potentially waking up from what should have been a fatal explosion due to the strange magical scar on her hand.
"Cassandra." The Seeker glanced over her shoulder, greeted by the familiar sight of sunset colored hair peeking out from the cover of a purple hood. Leliana emerged around the corner that Seeker Pentaghast had rounded mere moments before. The Left Hand of the Divine caught up to her ally and revealed a report from her sleeve.
"Leliana, I suppose your agents have successfully identified the prisoner?" The Seeker's thick Nevarran accent hissed harshly to the former bard and spymaster when the later extended the parchment to the warrior. Cassandra hastily unfurled the report and scanned the private document, a letter from one of Leliana's agents in the Free Marches.
"Yes, my agents have successfully discovered her identity." Leliana remarked as Seeker Pentaghast gawked when she finally reached the name.
"There is no doubt about this, Leliana? I am not prepared for Josephine's endless rants regarding caution if we turn out to have made a mistake."
"There is none, Cassandra. The prisoner is Lady Kassandra Divina Trevelyan of the Trevelyan legacy. What I do not understand is her motivation for an attack on the Divine Conclave. The Trevelyans, despite their well-known support of the Chantry and Templar Order, have issued a public show of support for the ending of the war by the Conclave. They were one of the first noble parties to do so." Leliana stated, her hands linked behind her back as Seeker Pentaghast paced the grimy floor of the dim, damp makeshift prison.
"Is Lady Trevelyan a mage?" Cassandra murmured deep in thought. The gears in Seeker's mind were churning rapidly with the enigma laid before her. Without obvious motivations, Lady Trevelyan cast some doubt over many people's stable notion of her involvement in disrupting the Conclave. Confusion breached a hole through the Seeker's hazy, anger-ridden mind allowing a ray of logic to stream and cast out some of the dark holes in the strange case. Her passion often rendered judgment askew since her personal emotions were involved.
"No."
"Then why does her hand glow with a mark bearing the hellish magic from the Breach tearing open the sky? Demons are pouring through and with every pulse of her hand, the rift grows larger! She is involved somehow. We may not completely know how, but I plan of getting to the bottom of it." Without waiting for Leliana, Seeker Pentaghast resumed her march straight for the cell holding the prisoner. She was not aware if the spymaster was on her tail. The momentary confusion the Seeker internalized dissipated back into unintelligible, overwhelming anger. She had walked into the Temple and sifted through the ashes of the dead. Good people died the day that the Conclave was razed to bloodied ashes and Cassandra Pentaghast had questions which Lady Kassandra Trevelyan would answer for her. The solidary guards at the end of the hall instantly straightened their posture as they heard Cassandra's voice about to round the corner; her notorious reputation as a fearsome warrior with a stringent personality kept them from slacking off at their jobs. Maker forbid they awaken the dragon within her. As the Seeker and the Spymaster turned the corner, the two guards noted the gleam of anger dancing in her hickory irises and issued a silent prayer that Seeker Pentaghast would refrain from releasing her anger against them. Luckily, Cassandra's focus was elsewhere as she stepped through the door. Inside stood Lady Kassandra Trevelyan, on her knees and surrounded by armed guardsmen. Her expression was unreadable as she blankly observed both the Right and Left Hand of the Divine entering the room. The guardsmen sheathed their swords and backed away from the prisoner while Seeker Pentaghast rounded to the prisoner's back. The Seeker leaned forward towards Lady Trevelyan's ear and Leliana stood steadfast in front of her.
"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now." Seeker Pentaghast hissed, rising from her bent position and began to pace around the chained noblewoman. "The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead… except for you." The accusations seeped through the Seeker's voice as evident as her Nevarran accent. Kassandra swallowed roughly; her mind fully processing what she was being accused of. In that moment, her thoughts flashed to her cousins. She might've thought them as ditzy and close-minded but she never wished them dead. Not to mention all those people who were at the Conclave; their lives were snuffed out. But she wasn't responsible.
"You think I'm responsible." It wasn't a question on Kassandra's part. She knew that they blamed her. Seeker Pentaghast wasn't expecting a calm, rational response to her accusation. Instead, she imagined the Trevelyan to whine and complain. Yet here Kassandra Trevelyan was- serene and compliant in a strange way. The Seeker, unamused by her remark, roughly jerked Lady Trevelyan's chained hand up to her face level.
"Explain this." The mark on her hand glowed to life with a short pulse of green, electrical light when Seeker Pentaghast shoved it back down. Kassandra admired the pulsing wound with fear.
"I- I can't." Trevelyan stuttered out nervously. Her internally calmness was chipped away at by her doubt. Perhaps she was guilty of what they accused her of? She couldn't remember anything before awakening in the dungeon and anything after she encountered the Chantry Sisters in the temple courtyard.
"What do you mean you can't?"
"I don't know what that is, or how it got there." Kassandra pleaded in utter honesty. However, Seeker Pentaghast didn't believe a word coming from the prisoner. She was already sold on her own conviction of guilt. Surging forward, she attempted to grab Trevelyan by her collar.
"You're lying!" Leliana swooped in and pushed the Seeker back from the prisoner. Unlike Cassandra, Leliana wouldn't let her personal emotions on the matter interfere with her judgement. Lady Trevelyan was innocent until proven otherwise.
"We need her, Cassandra." Leliana forced the Seeker of Truth all the way out the door; placing herself between the enraged warrior and the prisoner.
"I can't believe it. All those people… dead?" Kassandra murmured sadly and aloud; her mind still unsuccessfully grappling with the questions and guilt seared into her thoughts. Leliana faced the noblewoman and decidedly resumed the interrogation in the Seeker's place. The Spymaster understood that more information could be gleaned through not using force as a means of interrogation. Cassandra lingered behind Leliana.
"Do you remember what happened? How this began?"
"I remember running. Things were chasing me-" Kassandra trailed off slowly in thought as she struggled to reassemble the leftover fragments of memories surfacing in her conscious mind into easily explainable, coherent memories.
For the first time since she was a little girl, Kassandra Divina Trevelyan found herself lost. She felt the sweat from the humid atmosphere gathering underneath her light armor and green traveling coat; imparting a desire to shed the garments from her flushed, porcelain skin. The hazy fog made it hard to see through her surroundings while the pungent odor of sulfur and what she could only describe as 'eternal damnation' slowly penetrated her senses. Eyes watered and her throat became constrained when inhaling. Glancing around, a brilliant epicenter of light exploding on a ledge up ahead of Trevelyan forced her to shield her eyes yet guided her towards where she hoped she needed to go. She needed to find her way back, otherwise she would have to endure a lecture about acting unladylike from Iva and that was not the conversation she wanted to drudge through again. She would rather eat a Wyvern's heart than re-live that same speech ever again in her life. Wandering aimlessly in the direction of the glowing light, Kassandra observed as the veridium smoke rose and thickened through her peripheral vision.
Next began the slow trudge up a rocky, steep hill. Kassandra continually covered her eyes from the beacon of light while she fumbled around the hill for stabilizing footholds. She was left alone to her thoughts by the eerie silence. Occasionally a noise would send her awareness into overdrive and she would blindly feel for her sword; only to come upon the realization that she foolishly left her sword behind on her saddlebag. Kassandra coughed roughly into one of her hands and winced when blood splattered against the skin of her palm. Wherever she was, she obviously shouldn't be there. Stormy blue eyes lidded heavily as they burned from the acidic mist and tears welled behind them. A series of high-pitched, inhuman squeaks emanated from behind the Trevelyan and she pivoted quickly on her heels to face whatever monstrosity lingered behind in the shadows. Then, from the shelter of a boulder cluster, a pack of giant spiderlings with sharpened fangs and a multitude of eyes emerged. Kassandra took one fearful glance at them before sprinting even faster towards the beacon of light. She had to escape. Trevelyan continued to climb, even as the creatures drew closer to her. A swift glance over her shoulder spurred a quickening in her pace. Not even five feet away from her was the beacon of light in a shape that she initially couldn't make out: a woman. The figure's hand was outstretched out towards Kassandra and beckoned her to take hold and reach closer. The mark on her hand began pulsating with light and her fingertips were just about to connect with the figure's as the creatures started closing in.
Then, everything went pitch black once again.
"-and then… a woman?" Kassandra finished her thoughts, returning from the analyzation of the memory fragments. Leliana concernedly crossed her arms.
"A woman?"
"She reached out to me, but then…" The Trevelyan's silence spoke for itself, which prompted Seeker Pentaghast to usher Leliana from the prisoner and towards the door. With one eye trained on Kassandra Trevelyan and the other on the door, Cassandra watched as the Spymaster headed towards the open exit. Both women were reeling over the revelation that someone else was possibly in the Breach with their prisoner; Seeker Pentaghast noting that she would have to speak with the guards who found Lady Trevelyan for corroboration of her story.
"Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take her to the Rift." A slew of burning questions swarmed into Lady Kassandra's mind. What was the Rift? Was that the name of a secret prison? What did this woman have planned for her? Her eyes failed to meet the Seekers' when the latter knelt and unchained her from the latches on the floor. Kassandra's head rose and stared Seeker Pentaghast in the eyes.
"What did happen?" Cassandra rose off the ground while simply lifting Trevelyan from her kneeling position before answering her.
"It- will be easier to show you." The Seeker pivoted towards the open door with her prisoner following behind hesitantly. Stormy blue eyes blinked miserably as she plodded after Cassandra in chains. Down the hallway lined with stoic guardsmen and out a set of wooden double doors, Trevelyan found herself greeted by the bitter wind of winter. Her frazzled traveling coat offered limited protection to the cold and she felt the numbness seeping into her bones. She resisted a shiver as she preferred not to bring any more attention to herself from Cassandra than she already had. Kassandra closed her eyes as she adjusted to the sudden brightness. Not by her choice, she had spent the last several days clawing her way back from the clutches of death and locked in a dark prison cell. Once she opened her eyes, Trevelyan allowed herself a quick glance around. Then, the green caught her attention. In the distance, a funnel of energy swirled into the vast expanse of the smoke-coated sky. It struck Kassandra that she survived the explosion that caused that- that thing.
"We call it 'the Breach'. It's a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It's not the only such rift; just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave." Seeker Pentaghast declared aloud for Kassandra's sake more than for herself.
"An explosion can do that?" Trevelyan swallowed back her full disbelief. There had never been an explosion, that she's ever heard of, that caused a tear in the sky where demons fell from it. And by the tone in Cassandra's voice, she hadn't either.
"This one did. Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the world." Just as the Seeker turned away from the Breach, the funnel crackled with lightning. Almost simultaneously, the mark of Trevelyan's hand exploded with the same energy and she writhed backwards in excruciating pain. Kassandra curled her fist as she keeled over. Cassandra kneeled swiftly as the mark settled back into a dormant state and pointed accusingly towards the Breach. "Each time the Breach expands, your mark grows… and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn't much time."
"I understand." Kassandra sighed exhaustedly and resignedly. She could feel the magic draining her energy with every pulse. Besides, this offered her an opportunity to prove that she wasn't capable of such a terrible event. A trial seemed more daunting than wading into an active warzone.
"Then?"
"I'll do what I can. Whatever it takes." Cassandra nodded in acknowledgement before snagging a fistful of Lady Trevelyan's collar and tugging them both back onto their feet. The Seeker ushered her charge forward with a rough yet guiding hand through a pathway littered with soldiers and townspeople; many of them who glared her down as she passed.
"They have decided your guilt. They need it." Kassandra winced as she was jostled around by Seeker Pentaghast. She dared not to meet the eyes of those judging her and grimaced painfully while the mark on her hand shot small, uncomfortable jolts of energy throughout her body at an erratic pace. "The people of Haven mourn our most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers." Trevelyan understood that she wasn't in the best position to complain and that she opted to comply with Cassandra, but she detested being spoken down to like a daft child. Biting back a sarcastic retort, Kassandra lifted her chin up and her eyes glazed over with steely determination. "It was a chance for peace between mages and Templars. She brought their leaders together… Now, they are dead. We lash out, like the sky. But we must think beyond ourselves as she did; until the Breach is sealed." The scenery had changed. They had once been gathered in a small refugee camp; now standing on a stone bridge covered in snow and populated by several clusters of guardsmen. Seeker Pentaghast revealed a dagger from behind her shield, turning to face Kassandra.
"There will be a trial. I can promise no more." The Seeker effortlessly sliced through the rope restraints without sparing a single glance at the ropes. "Come, it is not far."
"Where are you taking me?" Kassandra grimaced while rubbing her wrists comfortingly. The rope had seared angry red indents into her wrists after having them on for several days. The pain of having them removed was an oddly comforting one. Trevelyan brushed some strands of her chestnut curls from her eyes and tucked the loose ones behind her ears.
"Your mark must be tested on something smaller than the Breach." Cassandra answered simply, evasively. Her hickory eyes lingered on the double doors at the opposite end of the bridge which led out into the snow. The two women, Kassandra in the lead, headed for the gateway. The Seeker was strategically planning the way to reach the Rift in between there and the forward camp. Kassandra was pulling her traveling coat taut against her frame and prayed under her breath to the Maker that she wouldn't die. "Open the gate! We are heading into the valley!" Cassandra shouted ahead to the guardsmen manning the entrance. They scrambled to comply. The gate opened and Lady Trevelyan was struck with a sense of urgency. So, she began to quicken her pace to a light jog while weaving in between the spiked barricades lying along the road with the Seeker trailing her at a similar pace. Out in the distance, Kassandra heard someone bemoan that it was the end of the world and that stirred something defiant inside of her.
It wouldn't be the end, not if she could help it.
Lady Trevelyan and Seeker Pentaghast ran down the snow-covered path, past fires and through falling ash, until another tremor rocked through Kassandra's hand via the mark. She collapsed forward onto her knees and crumpled forward protectively over her pulsing palm. Cassandra Pentaghast halted momentarily to lift the noblewoman off the ground; noticing the pain plastered across her face and the formation of sweat beads breaking out across her forehead.
"The pulses are coming faster now." The two continued on their paced trek towards the forward camp. "The larger the Breach grows, the more rifts appear and the more demons we face."
"How did I survive the blast?" Kassandra masked a cough, the ashes irritating her throat and her ability to breathe properly.
"They say you… stepped out of a rift, then fell unconscious. They say a woman was in the rift behind you; no one knows who she was." So, there was a woman after all. It wasn't just a figment of her imagination or a piece of her memories that she conjured up? Kassandra pondered this pensively, even as the subject changed. "Everything farther in the valley was laid waste- including the Temple of Sacred Ashes. I suppose you'll see soon enough." Both Cassandra and Kassandra dashed through an arch and onto another bridge when a green blast of energy struck the foundation of the bridge, splitting it in half and giving way under Trevelyan and Pentaghast's feet. The two warriors tumbled down the ruins of the bridge and landed against the harsh surface of the frozen over river; both struggling to get back onto their feet. A second blast rained down from the sky and crashed into the opposite side of the lake. From the inferno rose a single horned demon: A Shade. Seeker Pentaghast unsheathed her sword and wielded her shield.
"Stay behind me!" Was her warning before speeding off right at the beast, leaving Kassandra behind. As the Seeker stepped onto the lake, a ring of green appeared where she had previously stepped from and a second Shade emerged from the portal. Kassandra leaped backwards when a circular shield and longsword caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She gripped the sword tightly and placed the shield in between her and the demon; she was ready to fight. Trevelyan refused to wait for the demon to attack before she went on the offensive- bashing her shield against the Shade's chest and slashing roughly against its abdomen; leaving a legacy of semi-deep cuts behind on its armored hide. The shade lashed out wildly, catching Kassandra off guard with a swift rake of its claws against the exposed skin of her wrist. She hissed sharply and cradled her lightly bleeding wound close to her chest while her sword fended off the Shade's attempts to nick her for a second time. Then, out of purely instinct, Lady Kassandra rammed her sword straight through the Shade, delivering the final blow. The Shade crumpled and she easily kicked its limp form off the blade. Breathing hard, Kassandra allowed herself a moment to examine her wound. What she was too busy to notice that Seeker Pentaghast had unseamed the Shade she chased after with a singular, backwards thrust of her sword and keenly observed the new weapons that Lady Trevelyan wielded.
"It's over." Kassandra muttered relieved, her expression morphing when she was faced with Cassandra's sword pointed dangerously in her direction.
"Drop your weapon! Now!" Cassandra demanded as she brandished her blade. If the situation weren't so serious and Kassandra hadn't reached the brink of her irritation with this whole process; she probably would have surrendered her weapon.
"A demon attacked me! What was I supposed to do?" Trevelyan scoffed in disbelief while clutching the hilt of her blade tighter until her knuckles grew white. They didn't have time to play this game! But Cassandra would have to be a fool not to realize the danger of trekking through a demon-infested valley unarmed.
"You don't need to fight." Cassandra snarled defensively. Kassandra realized exactly why the Seeker was so insistent on her being without a weapon. However, her will to survive trumped Cassandra's strong-willed personality any day.
Lady Trevelyan simply raised an eyebrow while remaining in a defensive, combative stance. "Are you saying it won't happen again?" Silenced dogged the two women, eyeing one another and waiting for the first move to be made. If the situation wasn't so dire, Seeker Pentaghast might've chuckled at the determination of this woman. She was clearly her junior by a few years but she still retained the fire that a younger Cassandra Pentaghast turned heads for.
"You're right." Cassandra sheathed her sword completely and Kassandra lowered her weapons in suit; the later still on edge. "I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless. I should remember that you agreed to come willingly." The Seeker and the noblewoman then resumed their journey to the rift in palpable tension. Even when Cassandra broke the ice to hand Trevelyan some healing potions, the exchange was awkward.
"Take these potions. Maker knows what we will face."
"Where are all your soldiers?"
"At the forward camp or fighting. We are on our own for now." The two wandered down the path across the frozen river's surface; the thunder of the Breach pervading the void of silence between the Seeker and Lady Trevelyan. Kassandra made sure to follow the dry path carved out of the snow since she didn't fully trust that her captor wasn't planning on stabbing her in the back when she allowed her guard walls to come down. Her heart thudded quicker with every moment they drew closer to the swirling mass of energy known as the Breach, yet she wasn't sure exactly why. Closing the Breach would be how she will prove her innocence. But there was a part of her that wondered anxiously. Was she innocent after all or was that all a delusion? As they rounded the crest of the hill, Seeker Pentaghast spotted the all-too familiar sight of Shades slinking across the frozen ground below them. "There! Watch out! If we flank them, we may gain an advantage." She drew her sword from its sheath, prompting Lady Trevelyan to mirror her actions. Without a moment of hesitation, the two dashed and leapt off the ledge onto the ground below. The Shades hissed and reared backwards as the two women flanked them before launching fierce attacks against the weaknesses in their armor; slaying the creatures of the Fade within mere moments. Up ahead laid a staircase where at the top, an apparition paced in waiting and another Shade patrolled the bottom of the stairs. The breath caught in Kassandra's throat as she recognized the apparition as a wraith from her combat studies back in Ostwick.
"Cassandra, there's a-" As Kassandra planned on pointing out the Wraith lingering in the distance, Seeker Pentaghast cut her off while forging ahead directly toward the Shade.
"Up on the hill! It attacks from a distance!" Cassandra headed straight for the sole Shade, leaving Trevelyan behind for the second time during their little journey. Kassandra tightened her grip on the hilt of her borrowed sword and blew a stray curl of darkened chestnut hair from her face in an indignant, exasperated huff.
"Thanks for the heads-up." Trevelyan muttered once she began her ascent up the stairs towards the Wraith. She had made it halfway up when the demon finally noticed her and launched a blast of green energy that Kassandra barely blocked with her shield. "Andraste's ass!" She swore, very unladylike underneath her breath while charging forward. Her first couple sword slashes missed the Wraith moving backwards, but a lunging strike sliced cleanly through the Fade demon and it evaporated. Kassandra turned on her heel to find Cassandra and possibly assist with the dispatching of the Shade, but a blood splattered Seeker Pentaghast was making her journey up the steps so Kassandra waited where she was for her companion. Cassandra stopped next to Trevelyan upon the far-off sheen glazed over stormy blue eyes poised in the direction of the Breach.
"We need to keep going." The Seeker and Lady Trevelyan forged forward down the crest of another snowy hill, populated by the occasional corpse of human or demonic origin. Then, more Wraiths and Shades appeared from Fade comets raining down from the sky.
"They're falling from the Breach!" Trevelyan snarled, taking off alone towards the cluster of creatures prowling around the frozen riverbed. Cassandra blinked but followed the noblewoman regardless; joining Kassandra in slaying the creatures. She released a fierce war cry to distract the creatures so Kassandra could slice them in half. Then, Trevelyan charged across the river where another Wraith lingered on a small knoll of snow. Seeker Pentaghast hung back and watched the ferocity which Kassandra displayed during battle; there was a spirit of fury that resonated through her movements like she was looking to prove her prowess. Stormy blue eyes narrowed in concentration as she became entangled in a dance of death with the Wraith. Her shield fended off blasts and her sword destroyed the creature. At the same time, her mind was focused in a separate arena. "Maker, all this place is snow and staircases that lead to more snow and staircases." The Wraith hissed when it dissipated and Kassandra, followed by Seeker Pentaghast, dashed up the lengthy staircase carved into the mountain's side.
About halfway up, Cassandra craned her neck and the faint sound of fighting reached her ears. "We're getting close to the rift. You can hear the fighting."
"Who's fighting?" Kassandra questioned the Seeker. This whole situation had devolved from minor confusion to utter bewilderment for Trevelyan. Just when she was sure that she gained some control or understood everything that was going on, another twist of events warps the story and leaves her right back at step one.
"You'll see soon. We must help them." Seeker Pentaghast and Lady Trevelyan reached the apex of the stairs, surrounded by multiple fires. It was then that the familiar sounds of metal clashing and garbled battle formations bombarded Kassandra and guided her gaze towards the clusters of soldiers fighting underneath a veridium cluster. Lady Trevelyan made the wild assumption about that being the Rift Cassandra mentioned to the red-headed woman named Leliana earlier when she was still in the dungeon. Her initial thought was that the Rift was the name of a prison they planned to deport her to, but upon seeing the swirling vortex of the Breach, it became evident to her that her captors were perhaps- most likely referring to something of similar nature to the Breach. Without Cassandra guiding her, Trevelyan leapt into the fray on the battlefield with her sword instantaneously removed from her scabbard and a menacing scowl plastered across her lips. The ragtag band of soldiers were fleetingly taken aback by the ferocity and mettle of their newest reinforcement as she darted straight into the path of two Shades, but were grateful beyond comprehension for any relief from the continuous onslaught of the Fade demons. Seeker Pentaghast subsequently followed the Trevelyan woman into battle; after first securing a visual on an elven mage pushing back creatures with his spiked stave and a dwarven archer that caused her blood to boil armed with a unique, stupidly named crossbow. Kassandra whirled through the field of rubble with a refined ease to those around her; leaving many of the newer soldiers gaping at the prowess she displayed despite of the manifestation of her youthful age. Weapon in hand, she was more of a force of nature rather than a human being. Alongside the soldiers of the Chantry, Trevelyan trapped a Shade in a ring of enemy combatants with her prowling in the center. The Shade blindly lunged for Kassandra and extended its claws, which Trevelyan batted to the side with the edge of her borrowed sword. She clutched the grip of her shield and bashed the front of it against the Shade. Then, Kassandra swiftly decapitated the creature while it dazedly staggered after her brazen shield attack. Blood spatter painted across her face as the head rolled across the floor before disintegrating into energy particles and some of the soldiers turned green in the face, but she remained calm in her expression if not slightly disgusted by the display. Stormy cerulean eyes spotted one last Shade fighting with who she believed to be an elven apostate and a dwarven archer across the terrain of rubble and ash. She broke through the circle of soldiers and headed for the final beast, the archer landed a fatal shot through the throat and the beast collapsed. Kassandra falters, not completely sure what she should do, when the elven apostate races over to her and snagged her wrist of the marked hand.
"Quickly, before more come through!" He commanded, forcefully directing her hand towards the rift and thrusting it towards the pulsating rift. Kassandra, too stunned to reply, watched as a ray of green lighting arced from the mark on her palm straight into the Rift. Within a few seconds of expelling energy into the portal, the Rift suddenly dispelled and closed itself. Kassandra jerked her hand back from the elven apostate with a clenched fist and stared at him questioningly; her mind automatically thrown into shock.
"What did you do?" Trevelyan questioned the apostate and he seemed unoffended, unsurprised by her demand for an answer. He was a slender elf with a shaven head and adorned in threadbare clothes; a spike topped stave strapped to his back. He gave off an intelligent and unassuming aura.
"I did nothing. The credit is yours." He gestured back at Kassandra. She nervously unclenched her fist and glanced down at the strange mark on her hand.
"I closed that thing? How?" Kassandra was baffled by the new ability she possessed. She wasn't a mage by any stretch of the imagination, yet the mark allowed her to perform an arcane ritual to destroy the rift. The paradox she faced challenged all conventional wisdom she knew and had been taught about magic ability.
"Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand. I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach's wake – and it seems I was correct." The apostate mused as Seeker Pentaghast strode forward from her vigilant stance only a few meters away.
"Meaning it could also close the Breach itself."
"Possibly." The apostate once again faced Kassandra, still pondering the possibility of magic tendencies she held. "It seems you hold the key to our salvation." Trevelyan almost spluttered ungracefully and aloud. She starts the day as a prisoner suspected to have single-handedly killed everyone at the Divine Conclave and has ended up as a potential hero to stopping the overflow of demons from starting the next Blight. Next time Kassandra subconsciously finds herself wishing for adventure to spruce up the nobility life, she swore to Andraste that she would be more careful what she wished for.
"Good to know! Here I thought we'd be ass deep in demons forever." Another voice, deep and smooth chimed into the conversation and Kassandra nearly fought off the urge to laugh. The hilarity in the ironic situation she found herself in finally dawned upon her. Trevelyan, Cassandra, and the apostate watched as the dwarven archer strode towards the trio proudly. He was stout and muscular with a marvelous amount of coppery chest hair bared by the low cut of his coat. "Varric Tethras; rogue, storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tag-along." Varric glanced at Seeker Pentaghast and shared a teasing wink with her; with Cassandra scowling in response. Kassandra recognized his name instantaneously from his notorious reputation as an author in the regions of the Free Marches. Tale of the Champion… The Viper's Nest… Hard in Hightown… Kassandra knew her family's personal library carried at least a copy of each of his works. Trevelyan then analyzed the interaction between Varric and Cassandra with amusement twinkling in her eyes; unconventional but amusing nonetheless.
"Are you with the Chantry or...?" Trevelyan gestured to Varric and the elven apostate inquisitively, which elicited amused expressions from both. Varric merely smirked and murmured something under his breath at first.
"Was that a serious question?" The apostate chuckled and Kassandra raised one eyebrow, scowling at his reaction. She would take that as a no.
"Technically I'm a prisoner, just like you." Varric admitted and Trevelyan felt internally relieved. It seemed like she was the only one going through the motions of this spectacle. Perhaps, she has more in common with this Varric character than first met the eye? Cassandra cleared her throat quite forcefully to interject herself back into the conversation once more.
"I brought you here to tell your story to the Divine. Clearly that is no longer necessary." The bitterness in her tone placed Kassandra on edge. It was evident that the last part was a direct jab at her since the Seeker most likely still blamed her for the tragedy at the Conclave.
"Yet, here I am. Lucky for you, considering current events." Varric stated sardonically to Seeker Pentaghast. The two exchanged another smirk versus scowl and Kassandra sensed it was a common dynamic between Varric and Cassandra.
"Well then… It's good to meet you, Varric." Kassandra nodded at the dwarven archer; a move reciprocated by Varric.
"You may consider that stance, in time." The apostate muttered off to the side of Kassandra.
"Aww. I'm sure we'll become great friends in the valley, Chuckles."
"Absolutely not!" Cassandra sighed as she glared down Varric for what seemed like the hundredth time that conversation "Your help is appreciated, Varric. But-" Varric cut her off mid-sentence with the smirk that seemed constantly plastered to his face.
"Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren't in control anymore… You need me." Varric grinned wolfishly, followed by a moment of silence between the two. Kassandra and the apostate stood off to the side watching the two bickering, almost like a form of entertainment. Cassandra scoffs in disgust and stalks back to the route to the Forward Camp. Varric holds back a victorious laugh- knowing he got under the Seeker's skin once again.
"My name is Solas, if there are introductions to be made. I'm pleased to see you still live." The elven apostate introduced himself to Kassandra, finally filling the gaps of information with a name.
"He means, 'I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.'" Varric revealed and Trevelyan turned to face Solas.
"You seem to know a great deal about it all."
"Solas is an apostate, well-versed in such matters." Seeker Pentaghast replied from her position at point, which nearly made Trevelyan roll her eyes. Thank the Maker that Cassandra explained Solas was an apostate! Otherwise she would have never guessed by the giant stave he had strapped to his back or the fact he was fighting the Shades with a cryomancer arsenal of magic. Kassandra was certain that by this point, her exhaustion had a hand in lowering her patience.
"Technically, all mages are now apostates, Cassandra. My travels have allowed me to learn much of the Fade, far beyond the experience of any Circle mage. I came to offer whatever help I can give with the Breach. If it is not closed, we are all doomed regardless of origin." Solas explained to Trevelyan and she nodded.
"And what will you do once this is all over?"
"One hopes that those in power will remember who helped, and who did not." Solas then glanced over to Seeker Pentaghast pacing ahead of the others. "Cassandra, you should know: the magic involved here is unlike any I have ever seen. Your prisoner is no mage. Indeed, I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power."
"Understood. We must get to the Forward Camp quickly." Seeker Pentaghast and Solas begin over to a broken wood beam and stepped over the low debris bar to the pair of stairs. Kassandra stood rooted in place as Varric strolled up next to her.
"Well, Bianca's excited!" Varric declared, glancing back at Trevelyan before heading after the Seeker and the apostate. Kassandra assumed that 'Bianca' referred to the crossbow Varric had slung behind his back.
"This way, down the bank. The road is blocked." Cassandra advised to the group as she allowed Trevelyan to assume point position once Kassandra caught up to the group. The group traveled briskly down the stairs and along the path until the road deposited the foursome into the frozen river bank. A few flashes of green touched down on the frozen surface up ahead.
"Demons ahead!" Solas warned and everyone in the group readied their weapons.
"Glad you brought me now, Seeker?" Varric enquired gloatingly while his voice carried in the path along the mountainside. With Kassandra leading the charge, sword in hand, the group stumble upon two Shades and two Wraiths. In the distance, a burning cabin laid next to a staircase that lead up the mountain and to where, Kassandra presumed, they needed to go since there weren't any other pathways. The only way they were going to reach those stairs was to clear a path through the monsters.
"Varric and Solas, you two take the Wraiths since you have better long-distance capabilities while Cassandra and I will handle the Shades." Kassandra declared lowly to where only the group behind her could hear and a few assenting noises were their responses. Varric loaded a bolt into Bianca before swiftly pulling the trigger; sending the bolt flying into one of the Wraiths. An inhuman growl emanated from the group of beasts as they noticed the foursome sprinting towards them. Kassandra and Cassandra dodged an energy blast from one of the Wraiths and slid across the ice to where the Shades slithered around. Back to back, Seeker Pentaghast and Trevelyan formed a barrier with their shields to defend against the sharp claws of the shadow creatures. The Shades wore themselves down from the constant barrage of offensive maneuvers; opening an opportunity for the two energized warriors to perform a synchronized takedown of the beasts via quick slashes and lightning fast stabs with their blade tips
Meanwhile, Solas and Varric traded blows with the Wraiths from across the battlefield. Solas fended off energy attacks with a protective barrier intact and projectiles of frost lobbied at the spirit creatures. Varric was releasing an unforgiving rain of arrows. Volley after volley assaulted the Wraiths and the creatures of the Fade hissed and wailed up until they dissolved back into the hell they came from. Varric refocused on the sound thrashing Cassandra and Kassandra were giving the Shades and indulged in a laugh. He swiftly aimed Bianca in the direction of the creature battling with Trevelyan and ended the Shade with an accurately placed bolt to the jugular.
"I had that one!" Kassandra declared indignantly as she then decapitated the other Shade to allow Seeker Pentaghast a breather before they made the trek up the mountainside where more monsters were inevitably waiting for them. She narrowed stormy blue eyes at the dwarf and Varric chuckled lightly and shamelessly
"I'm sure you did, and I normally wouldn't deprive you of such fun, but I'm not sure this is the best time to be toying with monsters with a giant hole in the sky." Varric explained with a nonchalant shrug and Trevelyan admitted defeat with a cheeky grin; the two wholeheartedly embracing the other's similar personality. Cassandra gaped at Varric stating a position of reason she usually would have if the roles were reversed, but she could not bring herself to commend him.
"Varric is right. Surprisingly I did not expect you to be the 'voice of reason', Varric." Solas leaned on his stave at the edge of the cliff above the riverbed. The apostate quirked one eyebrow at the display- seemingly amused by the antics of his newfound allies.
"Well, I have my moments, Chuckles…" Varric smoothly brushed off the jest in Solas' tone as he deftly jumps from the edge and lands in the snow below with the elven apostate following behind him. The foursome regrouped, and Seeker Pentaghast quickly collected a few spoils from the corpses such as gold and necessary supplies. Then, Kassandra led the group up the stairs and back on their journey to the Forward Camp.
"So, I take it you're from the Free Marches?" Varric enquired as they scaled the stairs and Kassandra glanced over her shoulder to look at him, her interest piqued by his inquiry.
"Oh? What makes you think that?" Trevelyan wondered if her surname gave it away to him.
"Accent. I'm from Kirkwall, but you're from… further east, maybe? Besides, the last name is ringing a bell for me because I know I've heard it somewhere before." Varric explained and Kassandra hummed. So, her surname was more prolific in its reputation than she would have guessed or hoped.
"Ostwick. That's quite the ear you have." Kassandra admitted, and she picked up a slight chuckle from Varric.
"I'm all kinds of impressive." He bragged, which drew a derisive snort from Seeker Pentaghast but not an annoyed response like she would typically give to Varric. If the dwarf didn't know any better, he would guess that he was steadily growing on her- not that she'd fess up if he was. The foursome marching through the ashy snow, surrounded by miniscule fires and the occasional human or beast corpse, was silent until Kassandra groaned in pain and dropped to her knees. The mark had flared up again- glowing a bright green and forcing a muffled scream from the warrior, masked under the guise of a sharp breath. Solas stopped to help Kassandra back onto her feet; watching the mark pulsate its sickly green color and Trevelyan's striking features warp into a pained grimace.
"We must hurry, before the mark consumes her." Solas declared flatly, his tone matter of fact and emotionless in manner. Kassandra grunted when she cradled her left arm protectively against her chest; the pain was spreading yet they couldn't afford to stop moving. The group surged forward up another set of stairs in quiet and inner thought. A bitter, wintry wind cut through Trevelyan's armor and she forced herself to suppress a shiver. What she couldn't help was counting the number of bodies in soldier garb along the way. These soldiers only died because of the Conclave exploding and the Breach gradually consuming the sky bit by bit. Kassandra's sense of justice, strong-willed and dominant, alit in an angry fire tallying the number of lives lost.
"So… are you innocent?" Kassandra heard Varric ask from behind as they arrived at another staircase in the snow; that one a mile long and uphill. Kassandra went to affirm her innocence, but the words caught in her throat. She tried a second time with the same result. In her mind lingered a tiny voice that whispered harshly that she might be guilty of all she was accused of- that the blood of hundreds of innocent people forever stained her palms crimson.
"I don't remember what happened."
"That'll get you every time. Should have spun a story." Varric mused, drawing the ire of Seeker Pentaghast marching besides him.
"That's what you would have done." Cassandra snarled at the dwarven man; remembering her initial interrogation of him about one Garrett Hawke and the location of the mage Champion of Kirkwall. Varric side-eyed Seeker Pentaghast with a quirked eyebrow.
"It's more believable, and less prone to result in premature execution." Varric defended himself from the Seeker's wrath and raised his hands in a surrender position. Cassandra huffed indignantly at him but dropped the conversation. Silence lapped over the group once more as a rocky, dirt path emerged where the stairs ended. Kassandra spotted a Shade roaming around the road ahead, pre-emptively drawing her sword and the remainder of her group followed in suit. Then, two Wraiths and another Shade make their prescience known, which caused the group to suddenly halt. Kassandra grimaced when a shockwave of pain rippled throughout her body and she staggered back into Seeker Pentaghast.
"The mark is draining her. She is not in optimal condition to be fighting." Solas examined her mark and noted the sheen of sweat building up on her forehead. Despite the fatigue she felt with sudden movements, Trevelyan shook her head vigorously.
"I can fight."
"You are straining yourself and we need you alive. You are the only one who may have answers to all of this madness. You are also the only one who seemingly can close these rifts to the Fade successfully; at this point, you are our sole hope." Cassandra argued as she resumed the point position in the guard with Varric bringing up the rear. "You can still fight but you will only fight when a creature draws near. That is the only way you can preserve any energy you have left before the forward camp. Varric, keep an eye on her." Cassandra and Solas rush towards the Shades and Wraiths- but when Kassandra attempts to follow them, Varric yanked her back.
"I know you're itching to fight, but you're going to stay back here with me. Flank me and guard if any of those bastards get too close for comfort. I normally wouldn't listen to a word the Seeker demands, but she's right on this one." Varric halted Kassandra from surging forward by grabbing her free wrist. Kassandra opened her mouth as if to protest that she could fight and that she should be fighting alongside them, but she hesitated and nodded. As much as she hated to admit it, she was feeling weaker as they trudged on and fought through the last swarms of monsters.
"I'll stand back for now… but it doesn't mean I have to like it." Kassandra sighed and she reluctantly levied her sword from her fighting stance angled behind Varric. He let out a chuckle as he sent his first bolt flying through one of the Wraiths, the creature scattering into dust and distracting the remaining Shade and Wraith whirl in their direction. Kassandra threw her shield between Varric and her and the monsters the split second before a green fireball made contact. The ball of energy ricocheted off the front and reflected back at the Wraith; dissolving the creature into thin air. Solas and Cassandra utilized the unintended distraction provided and simultaneously struck the Shade. A deep gash was created when Seeker Pentaghast's sword impaled the Shade through the chest and she shattered it upon removal of the sword, Solas' magic freezing the creature to its core. Trevelyan hesitantly moved her shield arm to her side as Solas and Seeker Pentaghast marched back to her and Varric; before the four of them headed back up the path.
"I hope Leliana made it through all this." Cassandra murmured as she passed another soldier corpse, tightly gripping the hilt of her sheathed sword in her sudden anxiety. Leliana's involvement was crucial to Divine Justinia's contingency plan in the event that her Divine Conclave failed to mediate peace in the Mage-Templar War.
"She's resourceful, Seeker." Varric reasoned while he unslung Bianca from his back and cradled her in a defensive attack position for any nasty creatures that decided to rear their ugly heads at any given moment. "I'm sure that Nightingale made it, probably using some obscure pathway that only she knows exists through the Basin."
"We will see for ourselves at the forward camp. We're almost there." Solas whisperingly stated, using his stave as a walking stick. His slate eyes wore an expression of intellectual ambivalence; nearly impossible for Kassandra to read at this point. The party continued along the path up the hill. Along the way, there laid a corpse buried in the snow alongside a burning wagon; with more corpses and a second burning wagon the way up ahead. The blanketed landscape appeared more desolate with the temporary silence and the ash that covered the snow in sheen of grey. Kassandra wiped the feverish sweat from her forehead with the back of her palm. While she once was freezing in her threadbare coat, she now suffered through a miserable heat as the magic of the Fade coursed throughout her body. What she wouldn't give to be cold again as the heat mangled her senses and tampered with her ability to focus to where she felt like a blind wanderer traveling the Western Approach.
"We are not far from the Forward Camp, only a few moments away!" Cassandra bellowed to the group from the back as she noticed Trevelyan swooned slightly due to exhaustion as they marched up the hill. Solas and Varric stationed themselves a step or two behind her in the instance she collapsed. At the top of the hill they turn in the southern direction, making a left turn, and march up some stone steps where they encounter another fade rift in front of an enormous gate. "Another rift!"
"We must seal it, quickly!" Solas expertly twirled his stave, its spiked top pulsing in the biting energy of frost magic, as the rest of the group followed by readying their weapons in suit. Two Shades and Wraiths growled and hissed menacingly underneath the rift.
"They keep coming! Help us!" A soldier called out from the field in distress. Something in his voice invigorated Kassandra; maybe it was her innate sense of justice or the fear she recognized in his voice, but whatever it was made Trevelyan determined to not let him down. With a guttural battle cry, Kassandra focused the creatures' attention on her as she charged fiercely into battle and sliced through her enemies like they were made of parchment paper. Stunned by her renewed strength, Cassandra and Solas and Varric blinked astounded before shaking off their reactions and diving into the fray. The soldiers fell back as the foursome easily dealt with the Fade creatures. The rift warped into the open portal from the original, chrysalis state; a swirling mass of transparent green glass.
Solas shouted at Kassandra, "Hurry! Use the mark!" She grunted as she complied when an arc of green lighting stretched from her palm. It took all her willpower not to release a bloodcurdling scream of pain as the mark drained all the energy she had just regained and exhaustion tore through her like a deep wound from a feral Mabari. Trevelyan dangerously staggered backwards once the rift was sealed by the transfer of enough magic and was caught by Seeker Pentaghast from falling on her back with a firm grasp on her shoulder.
"The rift is gone! Open the gate!" Seeker Pentaghast demanded and a voice answered back from the other side.
"Right away, Lady Cassandra!" The sound of machinery precedes the double doors of the gate gradually swinging open. The other side was revealed to the foursome. Seeker Pentaghast's deep eyes examined the worn out warrior next to her- Trevelyan appeared utterly defeated as her eyelids teased her, heavily drooping every few seconds. Kassandra, without a second thought, removed one of the glass flasks holding a health potion and downed to contents. She coughed disgustedly from the sickening aftertaste of the potion.
"We are clear for the moment. Well done." Solas and Varric caught up to the two women. Solas extended a kind smile to Trevelyan, which she exchanged in return- sort of. She really gave the elven apostate all the energy she could muster while the potion gradually countered the draining effects of the mark.
"Whatever that thing on your hand is, it's useful." Varric mused aloud, clapping his hand gently on Kassandra's back as not to harm her. The party crossed through the gate into the forward camp. On the other side of the gate is a bridge- lined with the activity of soldiers milling around. What caught Kassandra's eye were the four canvas-and-rope-wrapped corpses laying on the stone tiling of the bridge. Three soldiers sat around a bonfire next to a wagon storing firewood and some random supply caches scattered on the right half while Chantry priestess, a weapons rack, and two canvas-and-rope-wrapped corpses were stationed on the left. Up ahead, the woman Kassandra recognized from earlier as Leliana was debating furiously with a man in Chantry garb at a desk in front of a tent. Snide whispers from the Chantry sisters caused Varric to roll his eyes sarcastically and Kassandra to tense up suddenly- itching to put them in their place but containing the anger simmering under the surface. As the group approached the tent, all four overhear Leliana and the stranger arguing back and forward.
"We must prepare the soldiers!" Leliana stated matter of factly, disguising the anger and disgust towards her opponent well enough. She never enjoyed her contact with the scheming, despicable man or his outlandish notions about Chantry power.
"We will do no such thing." The man snarled back to Leliana with all the pompous attitude and mock authority displayed by a monarch. He sported a scraggly beard and wore the garb of the Chantry.
"The prisoner must get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It is our only chance!"
"You have already caused enough trouble without resorting to this exercise in futility."
"I have caused trouble?" The tone in Leliana's voice, dangerous, caused the man to swallow roughly with the fear in his beady eyes, but he refused to back down. He would not be frightened by anyone, not even the Left Hand of the Divine.
"You, Cassandra, the Most Holy – haven't you all done enough already?"
"You're not in command here!"
"Enough! I will not have it!" The man noticed the foursome approach, but his hawkish glare fixated immediately on Kassandra. The glare was hateful, which forced Trevelyan to not match him with a glare of her own. "Ah, here they come." His tone was mocking and arrogant- reminding her too much of her Uncle Florence.
Leliana's shoulders loosen upon their arrival, her expression unreadable, "You made it. Chancellor Roderick, this is–"
Roderick curled his lip at Leliana and dismissively cut her off, "I know who she is. As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution." Both Cassandra and Trevelyan took offense to the order- for completely separate reasons. Kassandra was astounded at the fact she was being treated as if she was not a person. Cassandra was irate at the idea that Roderick believed he had any power over her.
"Order me? You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!" Seeker Pentaghast snarled and she stepped forward one pace with the fury of the dragons that her family lineage hunted.
"And you are a thug, but a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!" Chancellor Roderick snarled back at the Seeker, slamming his fists against the table.
"We serve the Most Holy, Chancellor, as you well know." Leliana re-entered the conversation smoothly and subtly glanced at Kassandra with a gleam in her eye. She understood what exactly what was at stake, but needed the thick-headed Chantry man to see that before they could act. Otherwise, she would be dealing with more than Roderick's idiocy.
"Justinia is dead! We must elect her replacement, and obey her orders on the matter." He declared, which caused Kassandra to raise a slender eyebrow questioningly. So, what he was saying is that no one is in charge? Then, why was she still in the chains of guilt and being treated like an animal?
"For the love of Andraste, do not talk about me like I'm not here. No one seems to be in charge at all as a massive tear ravages the sky and spews monsters. As far as I am concerned, I am the least of your worries at this damn point. " Kassandra hissed indignantly at the Chancellor stepping forward. Her reputation back home was centered on her barbed tongue and legendary fury; a woman not to cross or anger.
"You shouldn't even be here!" Roderick scoffed, only angering Kassandra more. Trevelyan daringly took another step as her glare, a wintry stare, frightened Roderick back slightly. The words of his stung at her, the insinuation that she should've died at the Conclave already weighed heavily on the back of her mind. Knowing he made a mistake, he retreated to attacking Seeker Pentaghast "Call a retreat, Seeker. Our position here is hopeless."
"We can stop this before it's too late."
"How? You won't survive long enough to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers."
"We must get to the temple. It's the quickest route."
"But not the safest. Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains." Leliana interjected, but Cassandra didn't seem sold on the idea of utilizing the mountain pass. From what her reports informed her, the mountain pass was quick yet a gamble.
"We lost contact with an entire squad on that path. It's too risky."
"Listen to me. Abandon this now, before more lives are lost." Chancellor Roderick pleaded forcefully with both Cassandra and Leliana; hoping that a shift in his attitude would swing the argument in his favor. However, Kassandra drew attention back onto herself when she gasped sharply. The Breach expanded in the sky and so does the mark on Trevelyan's hand. Seeker Pentaghast whirled to face Trevelyan and took a deep breath before asking-
"How do you think we should proceed?" Everyone, even Kassandra herself, gaped in awe at Seeker Pentaghast. Shaking her head, Kassandra cleared her throat. For the first time in a long time, she was rendered unable to speak out of sheer astonishment.
"Now you're asking me what I think?" Kassandra's tone was saturated in disbelief and a twinge of ironic amusement. A strange turn of events the day had become for the noblewoman. All eyes were upon her for making the decision- how ironic of the prisoner taking charge.
"You have the mark." Solas chimed in from the back- reminding everyone of his presence.
"-And you are the one we must keep alive. Since we cannot agree on our own…" Cassandra trailed off on her explanation; leaving Kassandra to make the final decision. Her eyes flashed up at the Breach swirling across the sky and her mind solidified on a choice.
"I say we charge. I won't survive long enough for your trial. Whatever happens, happens now." Trevelyan declared boldly, with a side glare at Roderick for extra emphasis of her dislike of him. Stormy blue eyes glowed in the fiery determination burning deep within her soul.
"Leliana, bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone." Cassandra directed her ally and Leliana nodded, before collecting everyone to Cassandra's disposal. The Chancellor opened his mouth to say something about the order, but a fierce glare from Kassandra halted him in his tracks. Roderick, displeased with the outcome, huffed and stared down the Seeker instead of Trevelyan.
"On your head, be the consequences, Seeker."
