As it turned out, Sera fit in with the Inquisition like oil in water. She was brash, crude, and had already stolen Cassandra's boots and hid them up a tree. She was an absolute monster, so of course Dellis adored her. Her presence in Haven made him feel like less of an outcast. Varric was all well and good, but with the things he had experienced in Kirkwall he had a serious streak that sometimes left Dellis at a loss for words.
"Bet I could steal Roderick's knickers," Sera snickered over her sixth pint of ale. Varric and Dellis sat across from her, shaking their heads.
"Cassandra nearly chopped your pretty head off this morning when she finally got her boots out of that tree," Varric reminded her with a sly grin.
"Watching Cassandra tromp around barefoot in the snow might have been worth losing her," Dellis chuckled, taking a swig from his mug.
"Tit," Sera grumbled between gulps.
"You know I'm joking, Cricket," Dellis chuckled. "Although the look on her face was absolutely priceless."
"Stop calling me that you bloody git," Sera growled, punching the Herald lightly in the arm. Dellis winced as he felt the sting from the wound he had received during the scuffle back in the alley in Val Royeaux. It hadn't been a grave injury, by any stretch, but it hurt all the same.
"You know, you could always have Solas or Vivienne take a look at that," Varric suggested, gesturing to Dellis's arm.
Despite the injury, which he had mostly managed to hide until they had left Val Royeaux, the group had made one additional stop before leaving Orlais. As they had tried to leave the city, a courier had stopped them and delivered an invitation to a ball. Varric had laughed for a good ten minutes at the thought of any of them attending an Orlesian ball, dressed as they were, but they had done it nonetheless and returned with a new agent for the Inquisition.
"Magic?" Dellis asked with a laugh. "No thanks."
"You're just like Buttercup here," Varric sighed, pointing at Sera.
"Magic is creepy, you arse," she growled, tossing her empty mug at him and laughing hysterically.
"Make sure she doesn't have any more," Dellis snickered, getting up and giving a mock bow.
"Hey, wait," Sera called after him. "I want to prove I'm better with a bow than you."
"What, now?" Dellis asked with a laugh. "You're sloshed."
"I'm still better'n you!" she cackled, nearly tipping over as she leapt from her chair. "C'mon ya little shite, let's have a go at it!"
Dellis nearly lost his balance as the lithe and very intoxicated little elf grabbed him by the sleeve and rather roughly hauled him out of the tavern, with Varric's laughter echoing from behind them. "I really don't think this is a good idea," Dellis complained as she grabbed their bows, thrusting his at him before jogging off. With a sigh he ran after her.
"I'll show you!" Sera giggled, hopping up onto the stone wall alone the steps leading away from the tavern and toward the city gates. She hopped on top of the mabari statue as Dellis scrabbled after her. "Oh, you can see everything from up here!"
"Sera, this is a bad idea," Dellis insisted as she pulled out her bow and looked around.
"That," she announced proudly, pointing toward the Chantry. "Bet you can't hit the flag pole!"
"Bet you can't either," Dellis returned, smiling and pulling out an arrow. He lined up a shot and let the arrow loose, watching it fly straight toward the flag pole. With a loud clang the arrow hit the pole, flying off onto the Chantry roof.
"Nice one, fancy pants," Sera giggled, pulling an arrow out of her own quiver. She released it, and Dellis watched as the arrow flew straight for the flag, ripping a great hole through it. "Ha, bullseyed the eye! I win!"
"What?" Dellis asked with a snort. "That wasn't the-"
"Next!" Sera shouted, frowning slightly. "Need to be higher, yeah?"
"Sera, I don't think-," Dellis was cut off as she stood up on the mabari statue and leapt onto the roof of the nearby building. Despite his very verbal protests, the elf climbed her way to the ridge of the roof, snickering all the while.
"Wish I could see Solas from here," Sera complained. "Would love to put an arrow in his elfy little-"
"How about the trebuchets?" Dellis suggested quickly, pointing to the half-assembled weaponry in the distance. He saw her smile and refocus her attention to their west, pulling an arrow out of her quiver. Dellis did the same and they released in tandem. While Dellis's arrow was dead on, Sera's sailed haphazardly into a nearby pot, shattering it and spilling its contents into the snow.
"Sera, really," Dellis complained, only encouraging more laughter.
"Oh, how about right through Bull's horns?" she asked, referring to the lumbering Qunari companion they had picked up out on the Storm Coast.
"No," Dellis said from the rooftop, crossing his arms over his chest in protest. Sera's eyes brightened after a moment. "I've got the perfect thing!"
Sera pulled another arrow out of her quiver and pulled back the string. Dellis frowned as he tried to determine what she was aiming at. With no small amount of dismay, he realized she was aiming at one of the training dummies outside the gates. The training dummy Cassandra and half a dozen recruits were standing right next to.
"No, Sera!" he shouted, trying to stop her. She let the arrow fly as he grabbed for the bow, knocking it slightly off target. The arrow soared right past Cassandra's head and ripped through one of the tents, sending several of the recruits scattering for cover. Dellis quickly pointed at Sera as Cassandra's steely gaze settled directly on them. Upon seeing Cassandra's look of utter rage, Sera began to laugh so hard she lost her balance. With a loud thump she crashed down onto the roof, sliding off and landing face first into a pile of snow.
Trying not to laugh, Dellis slid down and hopped off, helping tug the elf from the pile. "Ha, I win," she said, wiping snow from her face and pulling out a few strands of hay.
"Yes, Sera," he said with a laugh, "you most definitely win."
"Another round?" she asked with a cheeky grin. Dellis shook his head negatively. "You're no fun."
As Sera disappeared back toward the tavern, Dellis rushed toward the training camp to smooth things over with the Seeker.
"Remind me why I brought you here," Cassandra snarled as he approached, not turning to meet him.
"I can close rifts," he reminding her with a hopeful smile. "Sera's had a bit too much to drink."
"As have you, I'm sure," she snorted, sheathing her sword and finally turning toward him. "What do you want?"
"I wanted to apologize for Sera nearly taking your head off," Dellis began, fidgeting for a moment as she stared at him.
"And?" she asked, expectantly.
Dellis smiled ever so slightly. Apparently, her title was no joke. "And I'm beginning to think you were right."
"About what?" Cassandra asked, her expression flat.
"About my swordsmanship," Dellis explained, absentmindedly rubbing his arm.
"A surprise you survived," she derided, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hey, I was trying to help you," Dellis replied defensively, receiving only a snort of disgust from the Seeker.
"I can handle myself," Cassandra replied, rolling her eyes slightly, "which is more than I can say for you, apparently."
"Excuse me?" he laughed. "Those archers would have killed you." Dellis was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry. I didn't come here to get into an argument."
Cassandra said nothing, but stepped toward the weapons rack, picking up a sword and handing it to him. He took it, feeling its unusual weight in his hand. Dellis was not a stranger to bladed weapons, but had never actually been trained how to use them. He ignored Cassandra as she tried to hold back a laugh as he tried to reposition the blade.
"It is an extension of your arm," Cassandra explained, holding her own sword to demonstrate. Dellis adjusted his grip and stance to mimic her. "Attack me."
"Are you sure this is a good idea with actual blades?" Dellis asked hesitantly. He smiled slightly as she simply ignored him and motioned again for him to engage. He gripped the blade tightly and leapt forward to attack her. Cassandra easily batted his attack aside.
"You are too aggressive," she critiqued. "Start by simply getting a feel the sword. You do not need to immediately attempt a deathblow."
Dellis chuckled at the comment. "I wasn't trying to kill you, as much as you make me want to sometimes." He hefted the sword as she raised hers again in a defensive position. "So, are you alright?" he asked as he thrusted toward her waiting blade.
"What?" Cassandra asked, narrowing her eyes as she easily blocked him.
"You seemed upset in Val Royeaux," Dellis explained, taking a step back to prepare for another strike. "I thought you might want to talk about it."
"Even if I was, which I am not," Cassandra began, effortlessly blocking another strike, "why would I wish to speak of it with you of all people?"
"The only other people there were Varric and Solas," he explained as she blocked another blow. "I figured of the three of us you'd least despise talking to me."
"What makes you think I would not prefer to speak with Solas?" Cassandra asked after a moment.
Dellis smiled triumphantly. "So, it does bother you."
As Cassandra blocked the next attack, she whipped him with the pommel of her sword, sending Dellis sprawling into the snow. "Keep your feet apart or you will lose balance."
"Yeah, thanks," he replied brusquely as he pushed himself to his feet, dusting off the snow. "He's wrong about you, you know."
"Do you never tire of hearing your own voice?" Cassandra asked with a sigh.
"You did the right thing," Dellis continued, taking a moment to heed Cassandra's advice and spreading his feet farther apart. "You're doing the Maker's work, even if the templars have forgotten."
"I know I was right," she growled, blocking his next attack and taking a swipe at him. Dellis ducked quickly to avoid it, moving backward to put some distance between them.
"I'm glad you realize that," he told her, wiping away several beads of sweat. "You looked pretty shaken back in Orlais."
"I do not need you to tell me that I am doing the Maker's work," Cassandra snarled, gripping her sword with both hands. "I am fully aware that I am doing what must be done, regardless of whatever consequences may come."
"You mean with the Seekers?" Dellis asked, blocking a quick blow. He knew he had hit a nerve.
"My concerns are none of your business, Thief," she spat angrily, rushing forward. Dellis spun his blade up to block, moving forward himself. The power of her blow knocked the sword from his hand but his step forward sent her crashing into him, her own sword flying into the snow and the two of them tumbling into a fresh snowdrift.
Dellis breathed heavily as he felt the cold snow creeping into the crevasses in his armor. Cassandra still held him pinned in place, both hands viciously clamped onto the shoulder straps of his chestplate. She glared at him with gritted teeth, as if she meant to end him right there. Her brown eyes bored into him with a rage he had never seen before.
"I know you blame me for all of this," he risked saying in a low wavering voice, watching her face closely. "I know I'm not what you were hoping for, but I will do whatever it takes to end this."
The stare down continued for several more uncomfortable moments before Cassandra finally pushed herself up from the snow with a disgusted snort and stalked off. Dellis breathed heavily as he laid there, realizing he'd come very close to pushing her too far. He finally got to his feet, shaking the snow out of his armor. Cassandra was nowhere to be seen.
With a quick stretch he decided to return to the tavern. As he was climbing the steps back into Haven, his ears perked as he heard shouting coming from the spymaster's tent in front of the Chantry. He quickly headed toward the Chantry and walked around the front of the tent to see Leliana and one of her agents in deep, heated discussion.
"Did he think we wouldn't notice?" Leliana asked the other man with a sneer. "You know what must be done. Make it clean. Painless, if you can. We were friends once."
"Wait, you're going to kill this man?" Dellis interrupted, stepping into the tent. Leliana gave him a look he'd never seen on her before. It was a mix of disgust and rage and Dellis couldn't tell if it was directed at the man she planned to kill or at him.
"This man betrayed the Inquisition," she told him, her lip twisting into a snarl. "He murdered one of my agents."
"It sounds like he was one of your agents," Dellis rebutted.
"Betrayal cannot be tolerated."
"So, you'd just kill him with no regrets?" Dellis continued. "You said he was your friend."
"I was foolish," Leliana returned. "What do you suggest I do? Leave him be to kill more of our people? I am condemning one man to save dozens more of our best agents."
"What price are we willing to pay for that?" Dellis asked her with a frown. "This is murder, Leliana."
"We cannot afford the luxury of ideals at a time like this."
"This is the best time for ideals," Dellis insisted with a severe look. "If we do this, we are no better than who we're fighting."
Leliana's stared mellowed slightly. "I'm surprised that you feel so strongly."
"Why?" Dellis asked with a laugh. "Because I'm a two-bit criminal from the arse end of Denerim?"
"Lothering," Leliana corrected, smiling slightly.
"You're a very good spymaster," Dellis said with his own smirk.
Leliana sighed heavily, turning back to her agent. "Bring him in alive."
Dellis moved further into the tent as the man left to carry out the spymaster's bidding. Leliana turned to him, clearly intent on being angry, but couldn't help but smile. "You have snow in your hair, Herald."
Dellis smirked as he ran a hand quickly through his shaggy brown hair, satisfied to see the icy bits of snow fly out. His smile faded quickly. "Cassandra hasn't been by, has she?"
"No," Leliana confirmed. "The last time I saw her she was out in the training yard."
"Ah, yes of course," Dellis said, breathing a sigh of relief. Leliana quirked an eyebrow at his reaction.
"Did something happen between the two of you?"
"Sort of," he said with a wince. "I asked her to give me pointers on swordplay."
"From the snow I take it you were a slow learner," Leliana grinned.
"I may have made her angry," Dellis admitted after a moment. "I thought she looked a bit spooked in Val Royeaux after our encounter with Lord Seeker Lucius so I tried to make her feel better."
"Dear Maker," Leliana breathed quietly. "What did you say to her?"
"I just told her she was right to form the Inquisition."
Leliana took a deep breath before moving away from him further into the tent. "Cassandra is having a difficult time processing what happened at the Conclave, I think," she admitted after a moment. She turned to him quickly. "I am telling you none of this, just to be clear."
"Promise," Dellis smiled, making a crossing motion over his chest.
"She and I were both very close to Divine Justinia, being her left and right hand," Leliana continued. "I have had the benefit of being more open with my feelings in the past but this is a foreign concept for Cassandra."
"Has she talked to you about it?"
"No, I don't think she's spoken to anyone," Leliana said with a frown. "I tried to get her to talk to me before the two of you travelled to Val Royeaux but she is not the type to speak until the time is right for her." She paused, as if debating whether or not to continue. "You must understand that you have been the catalyst for all the events that have lead us here, thus it is easy for her to direct her anger at you instead of where it truly belongs."
"I figured that out already," Dellis told her with a smile. "I know you two basically forced me into the Inquisition, but after all I've seen I can't leave until we're all safe."
Leliana laughed quietly. "That's rather noble for a thief."
"I've heard stories about you, Leliana," Dellis told her with a wry smile.
"It's true," she admitted with a smile. "I have not been the most noble in the past either, so I should not judge your intentions."
Dellis looked up at the breach in the sky. The green light washed over the snow, giving all of Haven a sickly glow. It had not taken Dellis long since being conscripted into the Inquisition to realize that he was the only one that could end it, and finally he had something worth doing.
"I'm with you guys voluntarily," Dellis told her. "If I have to prove that to Cassandra I will."
"Give her time to adjust to who you are," Leliana suggested with a smile. "If you mean what you say, then your actions will speak louder to her than your words will."
"She didn't seem to appreciate me sparing her from having an arrow shot in her ear," Dellis chuckled.
"That girl," Leliana said with an exasperated sigh. "One of my agents found Sera passed out in a bush outside the tavern."
"Maker, she didn't even make it back?" Dellis couldn't hold back a laugh as he pictured the scene in his mind. Sera would likely have his hide once she woke up and her headache wore off.
"Sera seems intent on keeping us all on our toes," Leliana said with a smile. "Shall I have my agents watch her?"
"That might not a bad idea," Dellis agreed with a grin.
"Very well," she said with a smile. "And Dellis?"
"Yes?"
"Welcome, officially, to the Inquisition."
