Any ideas, names or quotes that I use from pop culture, be it from movies or books DO NOT BELONG TO ME!

The inside of the Chantry was like walking back in time. I gawked openly like a first time tourist as I marveled at the simple beauty of the place. The warm glow of the candles and braziers made the place feel both mysterious and haunting. The lack of electricity was a bit unsettling though. I instantly felt out of place as people rushed around me, their determination clear in their steps. With the looming threats of a mage-Templar war and a gaping hole in the sky, they were showing themselves to be resilient and strong, with a remarkable willingness to move forward. If only they knew what else was coming their way. That very thought made me stop dead in my tracks. I alone knew exactly what would happen... I alone knew all the twists and turns the Inquisition would face. More importantly, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the worst was yet to come.

This new insight was like a punch in the stomach. Needing a moment to compose myself, I made my way to a secluded corner away from the majority of prying eyes. With a shaky exhale, I leaned my forehead against the coolness of the stone. The realization that it was absolutely vital that I remembered how I had played the game gnawed at my insides. What I could distinctly remember was choosing the mages over the Templars and exiling the wardens. The rest I couldn't remember off the top of my head right now.

But what would I do if the Inquisitor chose the Templars over the mages or kept the wardens? Damnit! Why hadn't I replayed the game with the alternative decisions? Oh right, because I had been romancing Solas. After the events of Trespasser, let's just say I wasn't as enthused to replay knowing his true identity. It had felt like a betrayal strangely enough.

There had to be a way to convince the Inquisitor and her advisers to my route. To do so, I just couldn't stand idly by and let them take other courses of action. I had to actively seek to enforce my playthrough. Forcing myself into Ellana's inner circle was going to be a challenge but had to be done, somehow. Anything contrary to that would leave more possibilities open that I was comfortable with. Hell, I didn't even know which people to trust on the Templar side. At least I knew not to trust Magister Alexius. All this lead me to one uncomfortable conclusion: I had to get directly involved in the main story line. I began hitting my head against the wall as irritation flared up. Initially, I had intended to stay out of it as much as possible in the off-chance that I got myself into a bad situation. Not to mention I wanted to focus all my efforts on finding a way out of Thedas.

I pinched the bridge of my nose as I began to feel the throbbing of an approaching headache. Any relief was going to have to wait though for later as I still had things to do. Idly, I wondered if the Inquisition had already been formed or if they were still arguing with the annoying Chancellor Roderick. Wait, I couldn't think like this! I could accidentally say or do something that had people asking me questions I couldn't really answer.

Just imagine the conversation: Good question Cassandra, actually I'm not from Thedas or even your universe. Solas, there are no elves where I'm from! Worse, there's no magic or Fade in my world, just science. Oh, there he goes, fainting. One more thing guys, your universe was created by video game programmers! Do you have a word for programmer in Thedas? Either way, that makes you all NOT REAL! Yeah, definitely had to watch my mouth otherwise I'd be burning at the stake before the day was done.

With a stifled groan, I reluctantly pushed myself off the wall. Rubbing my aching temples, I left the safety of my corner in the direction of the war room. I managed to notice the barely concealed feel of excitement in the air. It would appear Lavellan had been able to close the rift thus giving people hope that there was a real possibility to close the Breach. I also heard the word herald spoken in hushed tones several times as I walked by people whispering among themselves. I was actually relieved she'd been associated with that title. So far at least, everything was sticking to the script.

Inhaling deeply, I stood still in front of the door, dread preventing me from knocking. I could hear voices from within but not the words. I fidgeted with my hands as I stood there, uncertainty rooting me to the spot. Finally, I squared my shoulders and found the courage to knock. I waited with bated breath for an answer, almost hoping for a dismissal. Unfortunately, I heard a man's voice say enter. The nervous butterflies in my stomach intensified. That had definitely sounded like Commander Cullen.

Taking one last look behind me, I opened the door and walked in. My entrance did not stop the advisers' conversation as they continued on. They all stood around the huge wooden table. Ellana Lavellan was closest to the door and smiled slightly at me before returning her attention to the rising dispute between Cullen and Cassandra. The Seeker only spared me the briefest of glances from her end.

I took this opportunity to study the Herald. For the first time since prison I saw Lavellan clearly. Straightaway my eyes went to her long and pointy ears. She was the quintessential Dalish elf. One side of her head was shaved while the other had the rest of her golden hair tied in a messy side braid that fell to well below her shoulder. The intricate vallaslin of whatever elven god was displayed proudly on her face. A small pang of pity hit me as I recalled what the true meaning of those markings were. Yet their presence could not distract from her large, forest green eyes, something I hadn't had the chance to notice before. Although her features remained serious as she listened to the dispute going on, I could swear her eyes were laughing. At what, I couldn't say.

"We need more power to strengthen the mark in order to close the breach. We need the mages to ...," Cassandra was saying before Cullen interrupted her angrily. "They are too dangerous! Besides, the Templars could weaken the breach well enough. I know personally what they are capable of."

This close to Commander Cullen, I couldn't help but think of him as rather impressive. Tall and broad-shouldered, he easily filled out his heavy looking armor. He wore it like a second skin. His sharp sword glinted in the light with each move he made, like a silent reminder of what he was capable of. This man was a warrior through and through. Seeing him so completely in control and composed, it was hard to believe he was plagued by nightmares and lyrium addiction. There was a world of pain behind those amber eyes that he hid all too well.

"Well unfortunately, neither group is willing to speak with us at the moment," Josephine added tactfully, one hand holding her writing pad and the other a quill.

The ambassador of the Inquisition always did have a way with words. As soon as she said that, both Cassandra and Cullen remained quiet, some of their initial frustration replaced by this new problem.

Lavellan finally spoke up, "So we have been branded a heretical group by the Chantry, no one is willing to deal with us and I've become some kind of Herald of Andraste. And you," she said turning to me at last, mirth evident in the quirk of her mouth. "Have been branded the Herald's Protector." From the corner of my eye, I saw Cassandra stiffen at that.

My mouth fell open and I almost chocked at her words. "Me?" I squeaked. "How?"

Leliana's lips curved up briefly, "It's because the soldiers who found you both said that when you exited the rift, you were holding onto Lavellan as if shielding her from something."

I frowned in confusion. No, that wasn't right, it couldn't be. Only the Inquisitor had physically traveled through the Fade in the game, no one else. There was only one person that should have survived the explosion at the Conclave and she was standing next to me. My previous uneasiness returned full force sending my fledgling headache into overdrive: I was a deviation. I had to use one hand to lean on the table as I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. My previous fear of unknown variables was already coming true. I bit my tongue to stop myself from making any noise. There were no pillow to scream into here.

What did this mean!? Amid all this chaos and unfamiliarity, I had taken some comfort in the fact that, in theory, I knew the progression and fixed events of the game. While everything else was out of my control, this I held to be true. But now? This addition brought a whole new dimension of problems to my already unstable situation. Was this going to alter the events of the Inquisition? Were there going to be other changes more extreme than this one? How would I prepare? Could I even? Was there a possibility that Corypheus might not be defeated because of my presence in Thedas? All of these and more unanswered questions heightened the ever present sense of apprehension I had been carrying since I had woken up.

Cassandra's Nevarran accent broke through my escalating thoughts as she demanded, "What is your name?"

I automatically answered, "Oh right, I didn't have an opportunity to introduce myself. I'm Evelyn, Evy for short."

Lavellan's chuckle surprised me. "That's because you laughed yourself into unconsciousness, I'm afraid."

Of course I did.

Further introductions were made all the while I had to pretend not to know everyone's names and titles. I didn't think I was going to like playing dumb very much.

"What do you remember from the Conclave?" Josephine spoke to me for the first time. "We have the Herald's version but not yours."

"Not much, I'm afraid." I scrambled to recall details from the beginning cutscene. It was going to have to be the inspiration for my make belief recollection since I didn't actually have any memories of being in the Fade. "I was in a murky fog running to a golden woman and then... waking up here, in the dungeon. I do not remember seeing you there though." I spoke to Lavellan, that last sentence almost sounding like a question.

Lavellan frowned deeply, lost in thought. "That's true," she answered somberly. "I do not remember you being there either. When we went to close the rift at the temple, the vision did not show you either."

"Why is that, I wonder?" Leliana's simple question lingered heavily in the air. I had a sense she had done so on purpose.

"Be that as it may, Evelyn did exit the Fade alongside me... Unless the soldiers are lying?"

Ooh, well played Herald. I heard Cullen clear his throat in discomfort before he said, "I do not see what these soldiers might gain from lying. Regardless, we lack enough information to properly ascertain as to what actually happened at the Conclave."

Eventually the conversation steered towards Mother Giselle and how she could be of assistance to the Inquisition. The mission to the Hinterlands was going to be underway soon. In the meantime, I returned my concentration on my new found problem. Eventually, a heard someone clear their throat and I looked up in surprise. Everyone was looking at me and I registered that I had zoned out and missed something.

"Before you leave Evelyn," Cullen began, his honey colored eyes staring straight at me, "What exactly can you do? Are you a mage? A fighter? A healer? We need everyone aiding our cause if we are going to make it through this war."

Shit! My gaze shifted uneasily around the room. How could I explain, without sounding crazy, that I did have skills but that these were utterly useless out of a 21st century ?

So without any magical abilities or fighting know-how, it was decided that I should remain within the safety of Haven. Add to that my complete lack of any medical or military knowledge, I would be assisting others with their duties. Such was the fabulous life of the Herald's Protector. At first, they tried to have me work in the stables but I had no idea what I was doing. I've never owned a horse so I didn't even know how to brush one let alone saddle one. Had they asked me to set up a wireless internet network, I was your girl.

Then I was told to aid the healers with the injured but I did not have the constitution for all the blood and gore. Seeing blood in the movies had not prepared me for the real thing. The brutality of some of the wounds that regularly came in was far too much. Broken bones jutting out of open flesh, limbs torn out, people with gaping wounds from demonic claws... God, and the screams of pain... I had great difficulty sleeping afterwards. Needless to say, I did not last the day at the clinic.

The latest suggestion came from Josephine who said that I could try helping the armor master by patching up damaged equipment, namely leather armor. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I've never held a needle before. So I tried it in the vain hope that it would be simple enough. Yet again, I did not show promise here either and I had the finger wounds to prove it. All of my failures though seemed to greatly amuse Varric and Lavellan. During some of our meals together, Varric would exaggerate my latest failure for all to hear, to my complete and utter mortification. Those assembled would laugh as Varric recounted, in that storyteller way of his, my latest misadventure.

The temptation to spill the beans was becoming overwhelming. I thought of passing it off as some hidden magical skill or premonitions that came to me in dreams. At least I would be of real help then. I hated seeing the looks some of the villagers sent me on a regular basis. They did not bother to hide their low opinions of me. To them, I was a waste of food and lodgings in a time of war and survival. I didn't know how to skin a rabbit, or make bread from scratch, or start a fire or even cook without a slow cooker! In their eyes, I didn't know how to do the most basic of things.

After a few days, I found myself unemployed. I was fairly certain the reason I was kept around was due to the unknown connection between the Herald and myself. Until that was explained, I got to stay. So I spent the day just delivering letters and documents between various people around Haven. This is what a graduate education got you in Thedas. The advisers and Lavellan were busy finalizing their Hinterland expedition for tomorrow as it was going to be the Inquisition's first and thus had to be planned perfectly. The world was going to be watching the way this mission was lead by the Herald of Andraste.

Night eventually fell after a long uneventful day of running errands. The silence that came over Haven when everyone slept still struck me as disconcerting. It was like a physical presence, oppressive and all-encompassing in its intensity. As someone who was used to the constant din of cars, planes and people, the lack of noise was disturbing. My footsteps crunched on the freshly fallen snow loudly as I walked aimlessly around the village, only absently nodding to soldiers I passed on my way. The crisp mountain air was intoxicating. Greedily, I inhaled it and closed my eyes momentarily as the cold chilled my lungs.

I paused in my walk to look at the night sky, shivering a bit as the cold crept in through my woolen cloak. But it was worth it for up there was a whole new world full of stars. Each time I saw it, I couldn't help but compare it to the barren sky I was used to back home. Out here, there was no light pollution to mar the purity of the starlight. On my nightly walks, just for a while, my worries made way to wonder and awe. I could almost forget where I was in those brief moments.

Soon, my feet led me towards Haven's gates, a desire to be alone urging me. I passed by the couple of soldiers stationed at the gates but they didn't spare me a glance. To my great surprise, the still air carried the sound of voices over. Pinpointing the direction they were coming from I saw Ellana, Varric and Solas sitting by a bonfire near the tents of the training grounds. I immediately went to turn around to find another spot but Ellana has seen me and was yelling my name, waving me over. Plastering what I hoped was a smile on my face, I walked over to the group. I had really been looking forward to having some time to myself but I couldn't pretend to ignore the invitation.

"Hello everyone," I said, awkwardly standing a few feet away from them. Varric and Solas were sitting on one side of the fire and Ellana on the other. She scooted over to make room on the log for me. I took the hint and sat down, wrapping my cloak tighter around me as a sudden wind began to blow.

"So, what's your story?" Varric asked me immediately when I got comfortable.

"Good point," Ellana chimed in. I almost felt like they had planned this somehow but knew that was ridiculous. "We had just been discussing how you remained a mystery."

"Wait, you were talking about me?" I asked, a bit worried.

"Well, yeah," Varric answered without embarrassment. "I had just finished telling Ellana and Solas about your latest failed apprenticeship and suddenly the conversation turned to how you don't know any basic skills. And I do mean basic here. There are toddlers in Haven who have better chances at survival than you do."

I rolled my eyes at him but he ignored it and went on. "So I came to a conclusion. Wanna hear?" He didn't even wait for my answer as he continued. "I'm thinking you're from some of ridiculously wealthy, noble family with servants for your every whim and fancy. It's really the only way to explain your lack of... utility." At that, I let out a very unladylike snort. I knew he was messing with me but underneath, he was trying to prod the truth out of me. If only I could say that the real reason was that my world was completely dependent on technology.

Truth be told, I did not know how to answer that. It might have been a simple question but my answer was anything but. I tried not to fidget under everyone's attention, especially Solas' even though he remained the most impassive. I directed my eyes to the flames, their hypnotic rhythm settling some of my nerves and I began talking.

"I can assure you that I don't have a single noble ancestor. As to where I'm from," I was going to say from a galaxy far, far away but refrained from doing so. They probably didn't know what a galaxy was and Thedas didn't likely have a working space program as of yet. "A place far away. It is very, very remote," I finished rather lamely.

"This remote place got a name?" Varric added sardonically. I looked up at him then. Under the guise of friendly and open conversation lied the unspoken truth: they did not trust me. Here was this odd woman who had walked the Fade in the flesh and had not volunteered any information as to how she got there or why. I knew that if I were in their place I would be acting the same. Yet this acknowledgement did little to comfort me.

I sighed, knowing I had to make something up. "Rivendell," I answered. I don't know why my mind went to Lord of the Rings, but there it was. At least this guaranteed no one had heard of it. "I am... was," I corrected myself, a tight ball forming briefly in my throat at the memory but I swiftly stomped it down. "A student of history and languages. I was actually writing a thesis on some ancient text. It's all rather boring," I said with a self-deprecating smile, my voice tinged slightly with sadness.

Out of everyone present, I was surprised it was Solas who spoke up first. "That is not boring at all. Rather, the study of history and its languages is a commendable endeavor, one that is vastly unrecognized in today's world. Which texts are you working on?"

Correction, I should have known the mention of my work would have his attention. His eyes were on me, the curiosity in their grey depths almost tangible. That was only broken when I heard Lavellan and Varric each emit a miserable groan.

"You know I'm all for books Chuckles but even I draw the line at late night discussions on stuffy academic treatises. No offense, Clutz," Varric said in my direction. I tried not to cringe at his nickname for me. "I'd just rather fall asleep in my bed tonight."

Ellana smiled slightly at me. "Sadly, I agree with Varric on this one. I can practically hear my bed calling to me."

I couldn't help but admire with a tinge of jealousy how the fire's glow accentuated her graceful elvish features. Just her vibrant green eyes alone seemed to shine like a cat's. I suddenly felt self-conscious when I remembered how my freaky pair has made some people, the more superstitious kind, too uncomfortable to look me in the face. None of my companions had mentioned anything about them yet, for which I was grateful. I had heard some people whispering that I was cursed or that I wasn't human which was silly. I just wasn't from their universe so that technically made me an alien. The fact that I was calmly entertaining such a notion spoke volumes as to my current precarious state of mind.

With that they got up, leaving Solas and I alone. I watched them depart in silence, their footsteps loud against the snow. I felt the previous relaxed atmosphere make way to an air of awkwardness for every time I saw Solas, the words Dread Wolf popped up into my head. Knowing who he truly was made me automatically tense up whenever I was around him, I couldn't help it! When I saw him around Haven I made what I hoped was a subtle detour to anywhere else.

Subconsciously, I was afraid he would somehow be able tell that I knew his true identity. It was an irrational fear but even so, Fen'Harel had been at least 20 steps ahead of the Inquisition throughout the game. I had to close that distance between us because after Trespasser, I was screwed. My foreknowledge stopped at that point. I had no idea what he would do after, how he would go about it and more importantly, how to stop him. I prayed I never got to that part of the game but at the rate I was going, I wasn't going anywhere.

Solas sent me a small crooked smile once they were gone from view. "Was it something I said?" I couldn't help the small laugh that bubbled out of me. He was just so disarmingly innocuous as Solas, apostate mage.

I tried to relax as best I could, hoping he did not see my discomfort. We looked at each other in silence, the crackling of the fire the only sound around us. My sudden awareness of Solas' attractiveness caught me by surprise. The light of the fire bathed his face in mesmerizing shadows that shifted as the flames danced in the wind. I was suddenly struck by the way his usual grey eyes were darker than usual. He suddenly looked every bit the Dread Wolf that would come later on, except his eyes didn't glow blue, they were black. Just seconds ago I sat before the companionable mage but now I envisioned the elven god that lurked underneath.

He must have seen something shift in me because a frown appeared on his features for a mere moment before quickly disappearing. Quickly, I averted my gaze but it was too late to recover. I couldn't tell what he had witnessed but it was enough for him to rise from his seat.

Looking down at my surprised look, he spoke calmly as if he was used to saying it, "You seem wary of me, Evelyn. I understand that among your kind seeing an apostate mage, an elf no less, has that effect."

What the... he thought I was racist?!

I got up quickly, determined to clear up this misunderstanding but words utterly failed me. Not a single satisfactory lie or explanation came to my aid. He must have taken my continued silence as an agreement.

"I bid you goodnight," Solas said far too politely as he walked away, leaving me behind.

After a while, I let myself fall back down onto the log with a huff and just stared blankly into the fire for some time. Putting my elbows on my legs, I leaned myself closer to its warmth as I tried to digest what had just transpired. I couldn't tell if I this was bad or if it was to my advantage to have Solas view me this way. Objectively, the more distance between Solas and I, the less likely he was to consider me worthy of his or his agents' attention. I would pass under his radar, so to speak. Yet this realization only made the guilt in my chest intensify. When had I become so calculating?