Chapter 3

Solas had reverted to his habit of observing her quietly in their dreams. Lavellan had hoped, that she had make progress, but her hopes had been crushed when she saw him again. He was a wolf again and had taken a step back for each she moved forward. Out of his reach, Lavellan had pouted a bit at first. She wanted to talk to him, to know if he had seen wisdom again. Her group "the residents" hadn't reported any activity on his behalf. It was, as if all of the elves who had followed his call had vanished. At least, he had stayed true to his words, that he would plan his next move very carefully. It seemed the encounter with wisdom had given her a little more time, but as she was still fishing in the dark, it was hard to estimate how much time they had been given in the beginning. The day he had taken her arm and kissed her one last time, he had said, that he wished for her and her people to live the rest of their years in peace, without having to subordinate under the harsh reign of the Qun. Judging by this they had at least two years, maybe more, minus half a year it had already taken to get to this point. "The preparation quarter", she called it in her mind.

Lavellan thought. Whenever Solas visited her in their dreams, he gave her a stage to perform. To persuade him to live their lives together in this world. Each stage could differ greatly and she was determined to make use of them. As she had in the weeks he hadn't visited her. The bare-faced dalish started to weave a net in the fade. She created a vision she had in her mind since her love for Solas had flowered. At first, it had been just an imagination, a little dream that wasn't fully thought through. More of a figment of a dream. But by now it had manifested, a clear picture of what she wished for their future. She wove Skyhold, a little greener, a little friendlier. Instead of soldiers, there were scholars of all races who wanted to study magic and the fade. The faces were a little blurry, but it was obvious that they were all treated with respect and friendliness. The mages had experienced a lot of acceptance thanks to Leliana who had supported them as Divine. If you watched down on the valleys between the mountains you could make out the edges of villages and cities and even though you couldn't see the residents, Solas knew that in these places all the races lived undivided and in harmony.

The wolf neared as he heard laughter. The dream formed the members of the inquisition, their friends. He saw Cole sitting near Maryden who sang in her beautiful voice. Cassandra stood with Varric discussing his newest book. Cullen played with his mabari, listening to Josephine and Leliana talking. Sera for once seemed very calm, lying in the lap of dagna, Blackwall next to them, carving something small in his hands. Solas could make out the hopeful glances he bestowed to Josephine who smiled sweetly back to him. Bull had pulled Dorian in a tight hug and the mage struggeled helplessly to get free, seemingly embarassed. Even Vivienne was nearby, sitting on a lounger because she wouldn't allow to be seated in the grass. Lavellan stood in their middle, watching her wolfs reaction.

Sera was the first to notice Solas, waving her hands hectically and screaming. Suddenly they all seemed to notice him, calling him to join them. Cole arose and walked towards him, as did his love. Solas froze on place, his fur rising on his back and suddenly he became very scared. The he noticed a different laughter, much higher pitched. The voice of a child. He turned, where a little girl of age two or three toddled towards him, looking a lot like the woman he loved. When she fell he changed his form to help her up. Her teary eyes were blue, just like his and he noticed that her natural hair color resembled his. The girl laughed as she grabbed his ears and called him "Papae". Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. Lavellan caressed him, smiling, Cole next to her, his hand extanded, anticipating. For a second everything stilled as Solas had to make a decision. All of them watching him, with smiles on their faces. Then he fell to the ground, hugging his would-be daughter, crying. Lavellan joined him and whispered soothing words for him. The image faded, even their little offspring, while his body quivered and his sobs woke a similar sadness in Lavellan, as she started to cry with him.

"I am sorry", she sobbed, "I am sorry." She couldn't stop apologizing, aware of the agony she had made him go through. Her friend Compassion lingered nearby, ready to support. It felt like an eternity until the elven male grew calmer, rubbing the last tears of his face and helping Lavellan to rise. "Your control of the fade became much better", he said.
She answered, "You taught me well. And I never stopped my studies in the years you were gone."
"You were always dedicated to your obligations. It is a trait of yours, i always admired."
She shook her head.
"Learning more about the fade is no obligation. It is an adventure. You showed me a whole new world to explore and at first I wanted to understand your fascination for it. Now I became addicted as well. Compassion and Wisdom are not the only friends I made and I discovered a lot of different memories. Once I even discovered a ghost to share his memories of its times in Arlathan. It showed me pictures of your younger self in return for my memories of as you are now. Your hairstyle suited you." She teased. "But maybe you were a bit too focused on your looks. Your pride was showing."
He chuckled. "And again you manage to impress me. You wandered through the fade of your own and found someone who knew me? You truly are the rarest of flowers, flourishing stronger than all the others in a desert."
"No", she countered, "This world and its inhabitants are no desert. If Arlathan was a forest, beautiful to look at, but static and confined, then this world is a sea of grass, with an horizon full of possibilities to live in it. It responds to the people who change it."
Solas' gaze searched hers, her eyes unwavering and self-confident. "Ir abelas, vhenan. You are right. Your world could be so much more. That is why I have to continue with my quest. So that it may gain the utopia it deserves."
"And you are wrong again. It is your world as well, because here lies your heart." She kissed him to demonstrate her words and finally he gave in and returned the kiss hungrily. The spent the rest of their dream holding each other, wishing dawn would never come.