Elizabeth awoke to shouting. It took her a moment to piece together bits of memory, but then she recognized her surroundings. She was in the hut at Haven, the one that someone had called the Herald's hut. There was gold light coming in from the windows now, and someone had placed her on the bed, next to -

She turned her head sharply and breathed a deep sigh of relief at the sight of Jane. Her sister was still unconscious, but the pink of her cheeks and the steady rising of her chest were good signs. Not to mention the lack of chains, she thought. Either the Chantry treated suspected terrorists with an unreasonable amount of kindness, or her sister was no longer under suspicion.

Gingerly, she placed her feet on the floor, touching her chest and her cheek as she did. She could barely feel pain from her injuries, though the lingering effects of a healing potion and some sort of strong sedative made her head hurt a little, and the shouting outside didn't help. How much time has passed? she wondered. Looking down, she saw she was no longer wearing her tunic. Instead, she wore a silk leisure outfit, something a noble person might wear around the house when they weren't expecting important guests.

The shouting ceased, and a moment later, the door to the hut opened. Two figures she did not recognize entered: A bearded man muttering curses under his breath, and a dwarf with copper hair and a crossbow in hand. They both stopped in surprise when they saw her.

"Good to see you're awake," the bearded man said.

"Sorry you had to hear all that," the dwarf added. "I'm pretty sure that's the last of them. The rest left for Val Royeaux this morning."

Elizabeth swallowed the dryness in her throat. "I actually didn't hear anything specific," she said. "Just loud words." She rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to think more clearly. "What exactly is going on?"

"Some men were trying to kill the Herald," the bearded man explained. "But don't worry, they're not welcome in the Inquisition. The Seeker made that clear enough."

Elizabeth wasn't sure if the sedative they gave her was stronger than she thought, or if she was missing context. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she finally admitted. "The Herald? The Inquisition?"

"Yeah, we should probably start at the beginning," the dwarf said, putting the crossbow on his back. "I'm Varric. This is Adan. Welcome back to the land of the living. Adan here is an apothecary, and also the main reason you and your sister are still breathing. Well," he added, quickly, "one of two reasons. I'll introduce you to the other one later."

"In that case, you have my thanks," she said, standing unsteadily.

Varric noticed. "How're you feeling?" he asked.

"A little groggy, but all things considered, tolerably well," she said. Her stomach grumbled. "Maybe a little hungry."

"Then how about I fill you in about what's been going on over dinner? And maybe some ale?" He turned to the other man. "Wait. Does anything you gave her react badly to beer?"

"No," Adan said. "Frankly, it might help. We're, ah, low on elfroot."

"Apothecary's orders," she said with a shrug. Varric grinned as he led her from the hut.


Haven was small and reminded her of Longbourn village in some ways, now that she saw it in the fading sunlight. Thanks to the Conclave, though, it was stuffed to the brim with people. Not just people, Elizabeth noted, but people staring at her.

"Is that her?" a woman asked breathlessly to her side. "Is that the Herald of Andraste?"

"Maker, no, that's just her sister," a man replied.

"Oh!" the woman exclaimed.

It was not the only conversation that Elizabeth heard of that nature. By the time they entered the tavern, she had a thousand questions. She was relieved to see it empty, with only a bard and a bartender in sight. The bartender's eyes widened when she saw Elizabeth's face.

"It's her sister, Flissa," Varric said.

To her credit, Flissa did not look disappointed. "Still, it's an honor. First drink is on the house, my lady," she said.

"Are you serious?" Varric asked, crossing his arms. "I was actually there when the Herald closed that rift, you know, and I've had to pay for all my drinks."

"Running up a tab is not the same as paying, Varric," Flissa replied with a small smile.

"I have the money, just not on me," he said. "But, hey, speaking of my tab. Can we get some supper and a pitcher of ale?" Flissa made an annoyed sound, but she turned around, apparently preparing the requested items. He faced Elizabeth. "Turns out being imprisoned is detrimental to your wallet."

"You were a prisoner?" she asked, interested. "Were you at the Conclave? With my sister?"

"No," he replied, grabbing them a table by the fireplace. Elizabeth sat across from him. "At least, I wasn't there when… it happened. Your sister is the only person alive with that distinction."

Fortunately, Varric was a natural storyteller, and Elizabeth didn't have to ask her questions for him to launch into the tale. Divine Justinia had been planning to start an Inquisition to stop the war, but obviously, things had not gone according to plan. The Right and Left Hands of the Divine were still going to launch the organization, this time to with the intent to close the Breach and find whoever was responsible for it in the first place. After the explosion, a group of soldiers went up to see the damage, and while they were approaching, Jane fell through the Breach. A woman appeared behind her. Some people thought this might be Andraste herself, saving Jane's life.

"Ah," Elizabeth said, nodding. "Hence this whole Herald of Andraste thing."

"Well… partly. There's more," Varric said. Flissa came by at this point and placed two bowls of druffalo stew in front of them, as well as two mugs and a pitcher. They thanked her and she left before Varric continued. "Did you notice the glowing scar on your sister's hand?"

"I- no," Elizabeth replied, confused. "Sorry, did you say glowing scar?"

"Yeah," Varric sighed, uneasily. He told her about how, at first, they thought it was a weapon-which is how she ended up a suspect-but the apostate who helped heal her had theorized that it could seal the Breach. Two days ago, Jane woke up briefly and Cassandra put that theory to the test.

"Right after she woke up?" Elizabeth interrupted, outraged. She dropped her spoon into her stew. "That could have killed her!"

"You weren't here," Varric said. "There were demons everywhere. If we waited, she might have died anyway. And it worked - well, sort of. The Breach is stable now. Chuckles thinks that if we get enough mages to support her, she might be able to seal it for good."

Elizabeth had just retrieved her spoon and taken another bite, so she paused to chew before speaking. "So what was all the shouting about?"

Varric shrugged. "Not everyone is thrilled that your sister is being lauded as some sort of religious figure. There was a pretty vocal group that wanted to cart her off to Val Royeaux for a trial. Or an execution." He winced. "Or just, you know, kill her right here."

"People still think she did it," she stated.

"No one at Haven, not anymore," he said. "You heard the last of them, and Cullen personally kicked those guys out afterwards. Unfortunately, outside these walls? Yeah. The Chantry believes she's involved and has denounced the Inquisition."

"So what you're saying is that we have no Chantry support, the Breach to seal, and need to ask the rebel mages, of all people, for help," Elizabeth said. "And Jane is irrevocably tied up in all of this."

"That's about right, yeah," he said.

"Lovely," she sighed as she took a deep swig of ale.


After they finished eating, Varric offered to show her around the village and introduce her to everyone, but with a full stomach of stew and ale, the grogginess had become sleepiness, and she declined with a yawn. He pointed her in the direction of Adan's hut as she left, suggesting she pick up medicinal supplies before returning to her hut.

Adan wasn't in his hut. She decided to grab a potion anyway and was in the process of rifling through his shelf for bottles when she heard voices outside. At first she couldn't make out anything, but she recognized the speakers as Lady Cassandra and the elven mage who'd healed her the night before - an apostate named Solas, Varric had said.

"- appreciate that you stayed, and I will do what's in my power to protect you. But you should know that I would not hold it against you if you left," Cassandra was saying.

"I understand," Solas said. "And I will stay. At least until the Herald wakes."

"You realize I'm saying-" she began.

"You're saying that I could end up in a Circle," he interrupted. "Yes. Fortunately for me, the Grand Enchanter has made that an impossibility for now. If and when the Circles are re-established, I'll reconsider. In the meantime, I am here of my own volition."

"Then... thank you," Cassandra said. After a moment, she added, "Varric told me the sister is awake. You must be pleased that she is here, at least."

There was a pause. "And why would I be pleased?" Solas asked, genuine confusion in his voice.

"Because she is a mage," she said. "Leliana told me that you have been asking to take one along for when we visit Mother Giselle, but that she cannot spare them. With the sister -"

He let out a breath that could have been a laugh. "Oh. I did not mean a Circle mage without any notable training or talent."

Elizabeth's jaw clenched.

"If her lack of training is the main concern, surely you could train her," Cassandra suggested. "The Herald is not a skilled warrior, but she has promise and the Commander has agreed to instruct her."

"No," Solas said, firmly. "The sister shows no promise. And from what I saw of her arrival, she has as little judgment as she does power. Even if she could be trained, I'm afraid she would do as much harm as good." There was the sound of a door opening.

"I see," the woman replied.

"I will see you tomorrow, Seeker," he said. "Good night."

"Good night," she replied. A door shut, and Cassandra's receding footsteps crunched in the snow.

Elizabeth stayed perfectly still for a minute, concerned she would be caught by one or the other, but all she could hear was the wildlife of the Frostbacks and the distant sound of villagers chatting. She finally made her way to the door and slipped through, foregoing the potions entirely. Adan could bring them to her in the morning.

Her face still felt warm in the freezing air as she considered what she had overheard. Elizabeth had never found her magic anything to boast about-few mages in this part of Thedas would-but it was still a slap in the face to be considered so inadequate. True, the enchanters at her Circle had sometimes criticized her, but mainly for her method of learning new spells. She had a tendency to try and replicate spells through observation rather than learn them through research and reading, a lazy and disorderly habit she'd picked up early on. But Solas couldn't know about that particular flaw at this point.

It was ridiculous, she decided. He was probably proud to be an apostate and looked down on Circle mages as a rule. That he found her fatigued at the end of a particularly arduous journey should have been expected, not presented as an overall critique of her ability. The nerve of some people, she told herself as she entered her hut.

Jane was still asleep, and despite the adrenaline that her eavesdropping had produced, the sight of the bed looked appealing. There were some sleeping elixirs laid out neatly on the desk, and she hoped that they would be strong enough to make up for the lack of a healing potion. She downed one, crawled beneath the sheets next to her sister, and was asleep within moments.

In the morning, she woke to find the other side of the bed empty. A wave of panic swept over her and she stumbled out of bed, her chest injury throbbing slightly with the effort. A folded piece of paper with her name on it was propped on the desk, and she relaxed slightly when she recognized Jane's handwriting.

Lizzie,

I can't begin to tell you how happy I was to wake up this morning and see you! I would never have asked you to come, but I admit that I'm relieved you're here. I am sorry to leave you alone so soon. Lady Cassandra Pentaghast is here and she requested I meet her at the Chantry as soon as possible. I didn't want to wake you.

Love, Jane

Elizabeth smiled. Her sister was awake and sounded like herself. She folded the letter and put it back on the desk, and then looked around, considering what she should do while she waited. For a moment, she was torn between staying in the cabin and going out to find Varric. The village was small enough that Jane would be able to track her down once her business with Cassandra was over, after all.

Then she realized that neither she nor her sister had written to her family yet. Bent on that task, she sat down and began to write to her father, assuring him that they were both alive and would remain in Haven for the time being. After hearing Solas so casually dismiss her last night, she wasn't sure whether she would be a welcome addition to the Inquisition, but she suspected there were certain benefits to being the Herald's sister, if the townspeople's reaction was accurate. And Jane would not want her to go home. Perhaps she could even find ways to help around the village.

With the letter done, she left the hut and asked around until she found someone who could send a message. She gave them the letter.

Varric was difficult to find; it was too early for the tavern, and there was only a group of Chantry sisters near the open fire that she'd found him near the evening before. An idea occurred to her, and she headed to Adan's hut. He was there this time, hanging a few herbs to dry.

"My lady," he greeted her when she entered. "You're looking well. I hear the Herald is up and about."

"She is," Elizabeth said with a nod. "Thank you again."

"What can I help you with?" he asked. "Sorry to say we're still low on healing potions."

"Actually, I'm hoping I can help you." Elizabeth eyed the potion tables. "At the Circle, we were assigned tasks," she told him. She reconsidered the phrasing. "Hobbies, really. Sometimes they were useful for daily life, but the real purpose was to keep our hands busy. As if we would all run off and start practicing blood magic if left to our own devices."

"I'm sure that fear doubled after Kirkwall, thanks to Varric," he replied with a shake of his head.

She was confused for a moment. "Varric? What do you mean?"

"Oh," he said. "Varric wrote a book about it. About Kirkwall, I mean. He was there, and-"

"Oh! Varric is Varric Tethras ," she realized out loud. Of course. It fit with his disposition, his manner of speaking, his ability at storytelling. And his name. She mentally slapped herself. If she had not been drugged and injured so recently, she would have realized it last night.

"Yes. I imagine his book didn't calm down any templars," he said. "Or mages, for that matter."

"You'd be surprised." The book had made an impact on her Circle, but not one as negative as the apothecary assumed. She picked up a potion and looked at it carefully before continuing. "One of my hobbies was studying plants. I was wondering if there was any way that could be useful to the Inquisition?"

"You were an herbalist?" Adan asked, now looking at her with interest. She nodded. "Well, uh, yes, that would be helpful. I could spend more time here instead of scouring the fields. All I have right now is a scout who doesn't know plants from shit - I mean, ah, from-" He grimaced and shook his head. "Maker."

She laughed. "No need to apologize, Adan. The Trevelyans may be in Ferelden right now, but we're from the Free Marches. My late grandfather said worse to me when I was a child." She put the potion back on the shelf. "If you give me a list of what you need, I will see what I can do to procure it. I believe you said something about elfroot?"

"Yes," he said eagerly. "Honestly, anything you can find. Although-" he paused, looking her over. "I don't want you putting yourself in any danger. There are wolves in these woods."

"I can defend myself," she replied. He looked doubtful, and she realized with annoyance that he'd spent two days healing her with Solas by his side. She crossed her arms. "Yes, true, I did not do so well against a Terror by myself, after four days of eating little more than dried meat and berries, but I assure you I'm not inept."

"A Terror?" he asked, surprised, and then he looked grim. "Of course. I should have known it was a demon. We thought maybe a deepstalker got to you." He held up his hands. "You'll get no more grief about it from me. And thank you for the help."

She bid him farewell and turned to leave.

"Oh," he said. When she faced him, he continued. "What were your other hobbies at the Circle?"

"I played the lute," she said. "I was also considered a fairly good seamstress. Not exactly the sort of thing you need when establishing an army."

He shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. If you find the time, head down to Harritt. He's the smith. A good man. Being a seamstress might help you make armor."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to contradict him, but reconsidered. Frankly, the more ways to be useful to the Inquisition, the better. "Thank you for the suggestion, Adan," she said with a smile.

With that done, she checked the fire again and saw that her copper-haired friend had returned.

"Hey! Glad to see you're awake," he said, cheerfully.

"So you're Varric Tethras," she replied. "I apologize for not catching that last night. I'm a huge fan."

He looked pleased. "Hard in Hightown? Tale of the Champion?" he asked. "Probably not Swords & Shields, but I'm not picky about good reviews."

"Tale of the Champion, mainly. Everyone in my Circle loved it," she said. She lowered her voice. "Despite the fact that it was banned."

"Banned! You're kidding!" Varric looked absolutely delighted.

"No, of course not. Blood magic. Crazed templars. A mage willingly becoming an abomination. A mage heroine, falling for said abomination. But don't worry, it was popular among all members of the Circle. In fact, the only reason I don't have a copy for you to sign is because I loaned mine to a templar right before the Circle fell."

"Really?" Varric asked.

"Yes," she replied. " And she'd already read it twice. Her original copy was confiscated by the Knight-Commander."

"This is the best thing I've heard all week," Varric laughed before glancing at the Breach and sobering. "And, uh, not just because it's been a shitty week."

Before she could reply, the doors of the chantry opened. Cassandra and a woman who Elizabeth guessed was the Left Hand of the Divine walked out, followed by Jane.

"Jane!" she said under her breath. She ran up the stairs that led to the chantry and flung herself at her sister so swiftly that it made Jane laugh.

"Lizzie," she replied quietly, her eyes shining. While her manner was less exuberant, Elizabeth knew it was every bit as heartfelt. The sisters looked at each other, at a loss for words. There were too many things to discuss and too many people around. Finally, Jane stepped back, and beckoned her sister to the other two women. "Lizzie, I'd like you to meet Cassandra Pentaghast, the Right Hand of the Divine, and Leliana, the Left Hand of the Divine. Cassandra, Leliana, this is my sister, Elizabeth Trevelyan."

"We met briefly," Cassandra said with a slight incline of her head. "I doubt you remember much of it, though."

"I remember enough to know that I'm in your debt," Elizabeth replied. She turned to Leliana. "And I can't begin to express how thankful I am for your letter."

"Of course," Leliana said, shaking her hand, "though perhaps if I had known the reaction would be so intense, I would have been less forthcoming with the… particular details."

"Well, I'm here now," she said, and before Cassandra could suggest sending her away, she added, "and I hope I'm welcome to stay at Haven for the time being. I already spoke to Adan and he said my help with obtaining herbs would be useful for his work. If you think I'm going to leave Jane's side for an instant-"

"Lizzie," Jane said, turning back to face her sister. Her voice lowered. "They're sending me to the Crossroads. There's a Chantry mother who is willing to speak with us. I know what you'll say, but-"

"The Crossroads?" Elizabeth replied. "But that's where most of the fighting is."

"I know," Jane repeated. "But we can't miss this opportunity. If we could just get the Chantry to listen to us, we may be able to convince the mages or the templars to help us."

There was a pause as Elizabeth thought about sending her sister into danger, alone, with strangers, and so soon after the Conclave. That was impossible. She straightened. "Well, I suppose there are herbs there, too. Wouldn't you agree, Herald of Andraste?" Cassandra's lips thinned, but Jane's smile widened.

"Of course. You're very welcome to come along," her sister replied.