Chapter Five: A Necessary Evil
Solas poured over piles of scrolls and maps strewn over a large table. Many of the documents were recovered by his agents as they scoured Tevinter for signs of the artifact. He was amazed that so many of them were written in ancient elven. They were of his people, but they had been recovered so far away from their original homeland.
"Knowledge scattered by the vultures, picking at the corpse of a civilization they can never fully understand." he muttered to himself. He was pleased that so much had been recovered in such a short amount of time, his agents had already exceeded his expectations. It gave him something to think about other than Valla. He had still not received any word from Skyhold and concern had begun to creep into the back of his mind. He worried not only for his agents, but for her. It dismayed him to think that she was still in physical pain even after the Anchor had been removed. But he needed to focus on the task at hand. Somewhere in this foreign land was the object he needed to finally achieve his goals. His worry turned to anger. So much knowledge, so much power had been hoarded away in a country that viewed magic as a commodity. It only reaffirmed his belief that this world was in dire need of reformation.
"My lord," an agent interrupted his thoughts, "We have found something."
Solas followed the agent into the depths of the castle, into an area that he could only assume had once been used as a dungeon. The bars of the cells were coated in rust, half of them lay on the filthy stone floor. A man sat on the floor, his hands tied to a corroded metal post jutting out of the wall. His head agent Lindel, stood next to him.
"We have reason to believe that this man has seen what we are searching for." Lindel said, "We think he is ready to talk."
Solas looked at the man coldly. He was old, but not quite elderly. His black hair had nearly turned completely gray, the lines of age were creeping into the corners of his eyes. He looked like he had been beaten. Cuts covered his face, and blood had dried underneath his nose. It was a pitiful sight.
"Untie him." Solas said.
Lindel did as Solas said and stepped away.
"What is this?" the Tevinter man said, slowly getting to his feet, "Who are you people?"
"Is it true you have seen the Eye?" Solas asked.
"What does it matter to you?" the man groaned.
"Answer him, shemlen!" Lindel barked.
The man flinched, backing into the stone wall. "It has been years since I've seen the Eye. It was being kept in a warehouse in Minrathous."
"What was it doing there?" Solas asked.
"It was found during an expedition to the Arlathan Forest decades ago." the man replied, "It was brought to a university in Minrathous to be studied, along with other archaeological finds discovered by the Imperium."
"How do you know this?" Solas persisted.
"I was a caretaker for the university...a curator of sorts." the man explained, "I came in contact with many ancient objects that found their way to Tevinter."
"Objects that the Imperium has no right to possess." Lindel said scornfully.
"You make it sound as if the Eye is no longer in Minrathous." Solas continued.
"No," the man said, his voice starting to shake, "It was taken from the university three years ago."
"By whom?"
"I-I can't." the man whimpered.
"Out with it," Lindel snarled, striking the man across the face. He toppled to the floor again.
"Alright," the man wheezed, struggling to sit up, "Three years ago, when the Venatori were still searching for elven artifacts, they came looking for the Eye. I was there when it happened. They came to the university and took everything. They had many fortresses scattered to the south along the Nevarra-Tevinter border. Everything they stole was taken to these places for future use and to be studied."
"For your life, you had better know where these fortresses are, shemlen." Lindel said.
"How should I know?" the man cried out, growing frantic, "I was never with the Venatori! Dear Maker, I had no control over what those fools did!"
"It doesn't matter." Solas said to the man. "What the Venatori stole was more powerful then they could have imagined, and it certainly is not of your people." Solas was getting irritated, "Your people have been stealing the remnants of ancient elven history for over a thousand years, locking it away from those who truly understand it. Your people have denied an entire race their culture!"
Knowing they wouldn't get any more out of the man, Solas turned to Lindel, "I am through with him. I want your men to start searching the southern border immediately. I want everyone pulled back to focus in that area."
"To hell with you and your wretched race!" the man shouted at them, "I've told you everything I know, and it is more than you damn knife-ears deserve! You should all be enslaved!"
Any sympathy Solas felt for the man immediately vanished. His eyes flashed with a bright blue light and the man froze in place. His body had completely turned to stone. "We will never be enslaved again," he said fiercely and strode out of the room.
It wasn't quite the information Solas had been hoping for, but it was enough for the time being. He needed to talk to his agents about how they treated the people they received information from. Solas knew he was better than allowing his men to torture informants. However, he was afraid that it would also become a necessary evil.
Solas couldn't help but laugh at himself. A necessary evil. For thousands of years this seemed to be his lot in life. He seemed doomed to forever be a harbinger of unwanted destruction. Everything I do, he thought to himself, is for the betterment of my people. By creating the Veil, Solas had destroyed the world of the elves, but saved them from enslavement. The elves needed his guidance. He was the one responsible for the loss of their immortality, the loss of their connection to the Fade. For some reason his final conversation with Valla came to mind. "I will save the elven people, even if it means this world must die," he had told her. Solas remembered the heartbreak and frustration in her eyes. Why was he thinking is this now? Every thought, every action, he couldn't help but think of how she would react. It was tormenting. He didn't have much time to dwell upon it before another agent approached him with a message crystal in hand.
"Sir, a report from Skyhold." the agent said.
Without even thinking Solas took the crystal and walked off without a word, looking for a place he knew he would be alone.
"Report, agent." Solas said, "What news do you bring from Skyhold?"
A blue light started glimmering from within the red crystal and formed the figure of a female elf, dressed as an Inquisition soldier.
"The past few weeks have been relatively quiet, Lord Fen'Harel." the agent said, "Everyone is still recovering from the events at the Winter Palace. It is only recently that there has been any activity worth noting."
"Such as?" Solas asked.
"The majority of the Inquisition's soldiers have started returning to their homes." the spy replied, "Lady Lavellan is keeping her promise to the Exalted Council to disarm. Only a small force remains."
"Good," Solas said, "Keeping a full army would only cause more problems." For whom, he did not wish to discuss.
"However," the spy said, "It seems the Inquisition's spy network is still fully intact."
Solas had already assumed as much. He knew it would take much more than a reprimand from the Exalted Council to keep Leliana from ceasing to be a spymaster. For that, he held Leliana in the highest respect.
The elven spy continued, "Mistress Nightingale has sent almost all of her agents out of Skyhold to do reconnaissance work. It will only be a matter of time before you encounter them in Tevinter. They are searching for us as we speak."
"As to be expected," Solas said, "I will inform our agents to stay alert. We must remain as hidden as possible." Solas knew that even with his many talents, he was no spymaster. He could only hope to hold off the Inquisition spies until he recovered the Eye. It was the one advantage the Inquisition had that worried him.
"The Inquisition's diplomatic influence has not been so easily removed either," the agent said, "Ambassador Montilyet has dispatched diplomats to Tevinter as well. We think she is trying to contact the Magister Dorian Pavus, the Tevinter mage who aided the Inquisition."
Solas chuckled, "Lady Josephine, currying favor with the stroke of a pen." She was as fierce an opponent as Leliana, in her own fashion.
"I think it is safe to assume that the Inquisition, at least its remnants, will be heading to Tevinter in the near future."
"I agree." Solas said. "We knew to expect this, but it will not hinder our goals." he paused for a moment, "Tell me, what is the state of Lady Lavellan? Can you comment on her condition?"
The spy hesitated, "I'm afraid she has rarely been seen since returning to Skyhold, my lord. She has mainly confined herself to her chambers."
"I see." Solas said. He couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice.
"However, she has recently been seen speaking to a few of her friends that have remained in Skyhold. Since then she has become more active around the castle. Lady Lavellan seems to be resuming her role as leader, she is the one who ordered her advisers to begin searching for us."
Solas had to hide his distress. While he had always known that Valla would try to stop him, hearing confirmation that she was putting plans into motion made his situation feel more real. It filled him with dread.
"Thank you," Solas said wearily, "Tell the others in Skyhold to stay vigilant. It will be harder to remain hidden now, but I need updates on their progress as it happens. The Inquisition may have lost their claws, but they still have their teeth."
"I will inform the others, Lord Fen'Harel." the spy said, "We will remain your eyes in Skyhold."
"I want you to keep a closer eye on Lady Lavellan as well," Solas said, "She may become...unpredictable." Try as he might, he knew he could never fully anticipate what Valla would do.
"As you say." the agent said, "I will continue to keep you informed." And with that, the light from the crystal faded.
For the first time in millenia Solas felt the weight of his task bearing down upon him. He knew there was little he could do to keep Valla's agents from discovering the details of his plan without revealing himself. He knew now it was only a matter of time before blood would be spilled for his cause. "Even though I walk the din'anshiral, you still follow." Solas said, wishing Valla could hear his words. "And the Dread Wolf guides you."
Translations: Din'anshiral = journey/path of death
Shemlen = human