Chapter 5: Practical Magic

(Maven)

Skyhold.

Just...Skyhold. Everything I saw up close like this made me geared up to get the okay for field work with a team.

It was so-

"Gorgeous." I heard Sophia sigh as she limped through the gate with me. We were both exhausted and sore but she had it the worst.

This place was going to force her back into shape.

Odessa was marveling at everything as well, but I could see her planning.

'If only she knew.' It was much too soon to tell her, or anyone. Little by little, I had even told Sophia. A couple of things at a time tops. Get the story in order. It'd help us stay on track too.

"Maven, I have something to tell you when we find where we'll be staying. After the Inquisitor is made Inquisitor if it doesn't take forever." She had been restless and even a little depressed ever since she woke up the morning we started moving towards Skyhold.

I was worried about her psyche. It made me think she wasn't coping well with all the killing but she held her metal staff almost too tightly and no haunted look covered her face.

Killing to survive and proceed wasn't the current issue. I couldn't really think of anything else.

"Sure thing." I smiled. It wouldn't be long then. The advisors were already seen huddling together like a college hallway gossip group.

My scar itched and I looked down and I couldn't help pursing my lips. Of course, it would be a mark above my breast.

"How are you feeling, My Lady?" Cullen inquired and I nearly jumped. He had walked right up to me. It was about time for the Inquisitor to be named and do her thing.

"Very well, Commander, thank you for asking. It is just odd. I haven't gotten hurt like that in quite some time."

"Let's hope that pattern will continue." He smiled and my heart clenched. Oh, that wasn't fair. Turning towards the commotion was the only way to save face.

Odessa was on the stairs with that sword that was way too big for her thin arms. She was doing her speech about order and during the cheer, I spotted Sophia next to me, grinning brightly with her arms crossed over her chest.

Her eyebrows were doing the wiggle. She had heard our exchange and caught me falter.

"Where should we stay?" I ignored the expression on her face and pressed on.

"There should be a dilapidated house by the spar dummies and the tavern. We could ask for that to get repaired." Her head gestured in the direction of said house and I recalled what she was referring to.

"Sounds good. Then we can have that talk." I concluded, nudging her with a smile. It didn't catch but she tried.

"I'm going to see how true the description of this place is to what we saw before if you don't mind asking Odessa about the house. We'll meet back at the spar dummies?"

"Sounds good." It was comforting to see her okay enough to plan things.

Then she was gone.

"Is something wrong, Maven?" Blinking, I realized I had been staring off into space and my eyes shot up to see Cassandra watching me with a raised brow. She was quite tall for a human in this world. I shook my head.

"Not really, no. I'm just so used to seeing her rely on me in weird situations. This is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to us and her reaction is surprisingly good."

"You are worried? I've noticed she is very close to you. Is this normal?"

"She used to cling to me when we first got here. I think this is all good for her though. I hope it is. I have no idea what I would do if something happened and I couldn't help her."

"I saw how she got when you were injured, so I am sure she feels the same."

"Thank you, Seeker Pentaghast."

"You do know you can call me by my name."

"I know but you have a lovely last name. People from my world rarely have names as lovely. It is a name that speaks of strength, elegance, and sophistication. You embody that. It isn't restricted to your cheekbones and jaw structure."

The chuckle she let out brought a grin to my face.

"Oh, I was going to find Odessa. Do you know where she would be about now?"

"Inquisitor Lavellan would either be in her new quarters or be examining the war room at this time."

"I'll see you later then. Maybe we can spar some time to get me closer to being able to travel with a group?"

"Your form is getting better. I accept." There was a tilt of her head before she marched off to the blacksmith.

I hoped Odessa was in her quarters. I didn't know if Sophia and I were yet allowed in the War Room.

The stairs were the same. The introduction to the main hall as well. I remembered Dagna would be here at some point and beamed. That would be interesting for sure.

Knocking on her door and hearing a "Come in", I stepped in to see Odessa sitting behind her desk. There was a lost look on her face.

"I know your clan is one of the rare ones who actively accept and trade with humans during their travels, but I expect this room is still a bit much for you."

"We slept in trees and aravels. The most comforting part of this room is the balcony and even that view was overwhelming at first."

"I bet. All this new stuff going down and you never even signed up for it. You were at the Conclave to spy, not this. This room encompasses all of that when it is meant to be your sanctuary. That desk you are agonizing over, for instance. You shoulder your burdens too readily and blame yourself when people die. As easy going as you are, you're very hard on yourself."

"You got all that from the bit of time you've been here? Or from what you've read?"

"No, I just know what to look for. You're a lot like my sister."

"Am I? What's that like, anyway? Having a sibling; a twin no less? That isn't common anywhere I've been." Odessa questioned, curiously.

"I don't know if it's the same for everyone. We lost our mother young and were raised together. It was hard because people treated us like we were the same person. Our grandmother even wanted to split us up when we were ten and able to remember one another. She almost succeeded after we both turned fifteen...but was found to be more than simply unfit to take care of either of us...then she died and we were soon able to take care of ourselves. In your clan, I am sure there are those you get along with sometimes and want to strangle at other times. It isn't too different from that. You want to protect them no matter how well you get along with them. They're family."

There was something I needed to ask her. Dang it, I got distracted.

"Right. Not that you need more asked of you, but do you think you can get some people to rebuild that little house by the tavern?"

"Of course. I'll get a few builders on it." There was a pause and I waited.

"You seem to know some things about the Dalish. Is there anything else?" Ah, of course. Her people's origins. Ever the seeker of knowledge.

"Yes and no. Bits and pieces. The books did not touch very deeply on the subject of the Dalish people. Much of your history is quite blurred, but...should I remember anything I think you don't know, I will relay it to you."

"Thank you, Maven," Odessa said quietly.

"I'll be on my way. I told Drusilla I would meet her by the tavern after speaking with you. She was giving herself a tour." The Inquisitor already seemed to have zoned out again but she appeared less lost and more focused.

It was something.

Sophia was sitting where I Cassandra usually sparred. Her eyes were on her hand that was lightly glowing with a blue-green color. Glancing up, she smiled weakly.

"That...wait. Is that what you were going to talk to me about? This is what got you all riled up and antsy?"

"I guess? I don't know. I wasn't a healer back home; I was a doctor."

"Isn't it the same thing? Just with magic?" She was staring at me.

"These kids, I swear."

"This is good, actually. It'll make our story more believable. Carver and Bethany were siblings. Bethany a mage while Carver was not. Remember?" Sophia blinked as if the info was reaching her for the first time.

"You almost died at Haven because of me."

"Oh? Were you the one who shot me with the arrow?"

"Well, no...but-"

"Neh. No. Shut up." Sophia gaped at me.

"I didn't almost die because of you. Neither of us had any control of what happened in that battle aside from what we did. We fought. I just so happened to get shot while fighting." Pausing a beat, I sighed.

"You healed me. How could I have died when you had healed me?"

"It was before I even knew. I freaked and had Bull remove the arrow while we were in the Chantry. It was before we escaped. I didn't even know what I did until I woke up and Varric told me."

"How do you miss your hands glowing?" She cast her eyes to the ground, guiltily.

"I may have been yelling at Dorian when he decided to remind me it wasn't a very good place or time to get the arrow out. And I didn't see the wound heal because I didn't remove your armor…" She trailed.

"You can apologize to Dorian if you haven't already but he might do the same back after teasing you. How are you going to thank Bull?"

"I was thinking about finding him some of the rare and really bomb booze hidden around Thedas, but that would mean being able to travel outside of Skyhold. So I have to train first or beat him to the punch about asking Varric to smuggle a few things in…"

"Have you only tried healing magic?"

"So far, yeah. It's still too early in one area to study more than one, so I figured I'd stick to healing until I really got it down." That's my girl.

"Were you able to speak with Odessa?"

"Yeah. She said she was going to order a few people to work on it. Some builders, I guess. How about you? How was that tour? Everything like we thought?"

"Well, for the most part. It's still the first day, so they haven't got the library all set up. Everyone is updating this and that. I plan to check out the library again later. Maybe the gardens too, but that may come later."

I could hardly contain the pride in my eyes, but my nose helped.

"Alright. Um, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Sometimes. I am if you're thinking that it's been way too long since we had a bath. Let's go see if we can get someone on that."

"This might suck a bit. They probably have soaps and shampoos but no conditioner."

"I know. Never thought I'd miss basic commodities."

"At least we don't have to pay for rent."

"Or plumbing."

"Or bills." We laughed on our way to possibly get the Ambassador to help us.

"I am sorry. With everything going on, a bath is one of the things we have had to put on hold for a time."

"When do you estimate we can get one?" I asked and Sophia nodded emphatically. Josephine examined her board, lips moving in a silent whisper as she reread everything.

"If you do not mind the wait...late this evening or first thing in the morning."

"Tonight would be lovely." Sophia piped in.

"Very well. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, is there anything we can help with? I'm sure someone here could use a few more hands. Maybe Drusilla can help place books in the library or something and I could help with...something." I shrugged. The woman brightened like she already had ideas.

"Yes, of course. Maven, if you could help in the gardens and then, Drusilla, you can take a look at our wounded. Leliana has decided to trust you with them as our Inquisitor seems to trust you."

"Probably because I didn't poison her in the tavern back at Haven." Sophia rolled her eyes before meeting mine.

Then we bowed together.

"Thank you, Ambassador Montilyet." We said together before dismissing ourselves to our tasks.

"God, do you really think she was expecting us to try and not work?"

"Who can say? We can't expect her to know what the people of our world are used to without telling her. Good luck in the gardens."

"You need the luck more. I hope no one dies on you."

"I swear. If you just jinxed me…" She trailed but she was smirking.

"I will never live it down. Let's hope this makes our bath and living space arrive sooner."

"Couldn't agree more."

Sophia hadn't been kidding. The garden work they needed help with was mostly heavy lifting, which worked well enough for me. I used it as a sort of makeshift training.

I had a feeling Sophia was having just as much fun as I was.

(Sophia)

It was about time. I was actually happy to be surrounded by sick and injured people.

"Are you Lady Amell?" That was definitely the surgeon here.

"That I am." The woman was one of only necessary words.

"Name's Mira. If you have any skills in this, get to it."

I liked her.

"Where should I start?" She didn't look up from her work again and only pointed at a woman in scout armor who was sitting up, holding her side, and wincing.

Easy enough start.

"Hey, can I take a look at that?" She seemed a little wary.

"Lie back and show me what's bleeding. I want to make sure you aren't wincing because of possible poison. Sound fair?" She had long since abandoned the metal chest piece and just huffed. I didn't care about her reaction because she listened.

There was a decently sized gash under her ribs on her right side, where it was more flesh and less bone.

"Want me to tell you what I'm doing?"

A shake of the head. This was better than working back home already. These people didn't really want bedside manner. They wanted results.

"Yes, Ma'am," I replied as I moved my head back and forth as I dug into the wound carefully, my eyes watching for a metallic glint from anything that may have lodged itself during a fight.

There. I held my place with one hand and grabbed some tweezers with the other. They looked like they were regularly sterilized.

'Probably in the fire.' I thought absently as I reached in with them and told her to hold her breath and slowly count to five in her head. Couldn't have her lacerating her insides more while I was pulling this thing out.

"Magic or stitches?" I knew there were some who hated magic and refused to be healed by it.

"First one." The woman said tightly and I bit my lip to refrain from grinning. I probably shouldn't be doing this but the best practice was hands-on in this and I wanted to try something.

I focused on the different tissues that needed reconstruction, going from a cellular level. Muscle fibers knitting themselves together and reconnecting to tendons. I remembered how I was able to pull the mana to my hands to show Maven.

'Draw from the Fade. Concentrate. After the transverse is the internal oblique muscles, which slant superiorly and towards the middle of the body. This is her left side, not the front, so we skip to the external oblique muscles that slant inferiorly and towards the midline. Next is the skin layers. Hypodermis, dermis, and the five epidermal layers. Can Lucy Get Some Blood…basal, spinous, granular, lucidum, and stratum corneum.'

There it was again. Louder this time and I had to wonder if it was because I was the one using it. The sound was as different as fire was from ice rhythms if not more. It was a serene and steady beating, like the heartbeat of someone sleeping made into a song.

It couldn't be as simple as just putting your hands on a wound and telling the Fade to magic it away using your hands. That would be boring.

"Okay. How do you feel?"

"Sore but better than before. Thanks." They croaked as they examined the scar. The only evidence anything had happened at all.

'Soreness would make sense. I put together their muscles and made them get along again. It's probably no different from a muscle cramp or soreness after a workout.'

"Right. Rest up until you feel you can stand and walk."

I moved to the next until I felt like my magic was almost depleted. Not all of them required or wanted magic. One guy just had an arm and a leg dislocated.

"Here," Mira said out of nowhere, almost shoving a blue vial in my face; lyrium.

"Didn't know you were a mage too. Knock this back and you should be able to get through a few more." A little dazed, I grasped the vial and stared at her.

"Yes?"

"Where'd you learn the stitching and stuff? Most mages I know stick to magic and don't branch out."

Stick to the story. Story is way less scary.

"Traveling. My sister and I sometimes traded services for lessons. One was a mage who wanted to try alternatives for when their energy reserve was too low to heal certain wounds."

Then I drank the vial like a shot.

The mint taste was intense and the aftertaste bitter. The elfroot was unmistakable.

The reaction was instantaneous like I had taken it intravenously. Tingles that seemed to light up my lymph nodes, making me wonder if it worked like chakra.

'That would be so cool.'

"Thanks, Mira. Who's next?"

I got through five more medium injuries before it got too dark to see outside and Mira said that I should go. Even magic healing was risky when visibility was shit.

I shook hands with her and headed into Skyhold.

"Solas, I did it!" I exclaimed excitedly when I saw the egg man. He was confused if his eyes said anything.

"Sorry?"

"Healing! I got to heal some of our scouts and soldiers today! It was the coolest thing!"

"Oh? You finally got the Spymaster's permission, then?"

"That's what the Ambassador said. It was glorious watching the muscles and skin just reconnect."

"You seem to be a natural." He commented, the hint of a smile hiding in the corner of his mouth.

"At least with the healing. I think the other stuff is going to be more of a pain in the ass." This caught his interest.

"You believe you have an affinity for healing because it was what you were doing before. That would make sense. Aside from this science you've mentioned, your medical work is the closest thing your world had to magic." He muttered for my benefit. I kept forgetting we had to still be discreet with this shit.

"That's all I wanted to tell you. Thanks for humoring me, Solas. Talk later." I waved and beelined it to the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"Dorian!" He startled and eyed me for a moment.

"Drusilla?" The word came out slow and tested.

"Yes. No daggers means Drusilla." I grinned but it turned into a grimace.

"Fuck...I'm sorry I yelled at you in Haven. You were just trying to be practical."

"I was wondering when you'd apologize. I suppose it was warranted. She's your twin sister, after all. It is hard to tell how close people are until situations like that occur."

"You could just say that I'm clingy as shit. I doubt Tevinter familial affection is the same, so I can't really blame you for not knowing."

"It really isn't." He agreed solemnly.

"I'm sure you'll get your chance to patch things up with your dad."

"How did-right...nevermind. What are you looking for?"

"Books on magic. Healing and pretty much anything else. All help would be appreciated."

"So, where is your sister?"

I shrugged, shoving down the very clinginess that has been tugging at me since she left for the gardens.

"Last I checked, she was helping get the gardens set up and cleaned while I worked on fixing our men."

"Here. Take the books you have in your arms with you. Find your sister before you lose your mind. Off you go." He shooed.

"Thanks, Dorian. See you later." My voice hurried but endearing as I zipped out of the library.

I regretted all the running. Exhaustion hit me at the bottom of the stairs and the muscles of my thighs burned.

'Fuck, I miss elevators.' Not moving would hurt more, so I simply slowed my pace to a power walk as I maneuvered around everyone bustling about with the books clutched protectively to my chest.

The disappointment at not seeing her in the gardens was hardly a distraction.

'I am such a child...she's not my mom. I'm a grown ass woman who was doing so well at the whole do my own independent thing...thing.' Scoffing at myself, I left the main building to check on the progress of the house.

Maven had finished in the gardens to help the builders Odessa had assigned to the house. She was supervising their progress when I got there.

"There you are. How was your first day?" She looked pretty exhausted too. Her face and hands were dirty and there were brown patches on her breeches. Her posture was more lax but still straight and she seemed to be happy.

"It was wonderful. I'll fill you in when the builders get done and we can get a bath. You look like you could use one more than me." I joked, bumping her shoulder. She smiled and I saw the scrape on her opposite shoulder. Reaching over reflexively, I brought my hand to it and focused on the skin cells mending and replenishing.

"It's like the feeling of Vick's vapor rub after it clears up congestion but if the congestion was on my shoulder."

"Good to know. How about you? How long have you been out here?" She looked up at the sky and her lips twisted.

"Well, the sun wasn't setting yet, that's for sure."