When Emilia's life situation stabilised she found more time and opportunities to observe how simple daily matters held up in Skyhold. Everything seemed to move in the right direction. There were constantly arriving more recruits to the Inquisition's armies, Leliana and Josephine were busy for a whole day and it was hard to even exchange news with them. Still, Emilia also noticed things that were more unexpected.

She was surprised that since some time Solas started to attend every Inquisitor's mission. It seemed that something was happening between him and the Inquisitor. Emila proved that when she accompanied them with Dorian during a quest, which resulted from Solas' personal request. When he lost a friend his quick, comforting conversation with the Inquisitor made everything clear. The fond looks and endearment couldn't be understood differently.

Emilia was happy for both of them. In such hard times everyone deserved love. Especially the elven woman, for she had the heaviest burden to carry.

As a result of this event Emilia unwittingly took a closer look at Solas. He had something interesting, different about him. She always came it down to his travels in the Fade, however, when she heard a few opinions from other companions about him, she wasn't so sure. She thought that there may be more to it.

"That man knows all there is to know about everything."

"His head's crammed up a thousand years ago."

Now, when she was analising them they didn't apperar as complately worthless words as they were at first.

"Maybe there is some true in it." thought Emilia.

A dozen of ideas churned in Emilia's head. "So much knowledge, some of which is very rare and stunning. I know he spends in the Fade as much time as he can, but still... Some of it is ancient, is it possible to find such old remains beyond the Veil?

And the thing with his age is strange. He says about himself like he was an old man, but he is not... Why he would do that? It doesn't make sense."

Emilia thought about Solas for yet a long time. Finally she came to the conclusion that her deduction doesn't lead anywhere and her assuming probably can be explained in an easy way, she just don't have enough information. Thus, she decided to put it off. At least for now.

For all that the fate, as if it wanted to help her, made her see that the Inquisitor in an unexplained way lost her vallaslins and in the same time she heard a conversation between Solas and Cole during one of many missions:

- Ar lasa mala revas. - spoke up Cole. - You are so beautiful. But then you turned away. Why?

- I had no choice. - answered Solas.

- She is bare-faced, embarrassed, and she doesn't know. She thinks it's because of her.

- You cannot heal this, Cole. Please, let it go.

- Perhaps Cole can get a better answer from you than I did. - added the Inquisitor.

- He hurts, an old pain from before, when everything sang the same. - continued Cole. - You're real, and it means everyone could be real. It changes everything, but it can't. They sleep, masked in a mirror, hiding, hurting, and to wake them... Where did it go?

- I apologize, Cole. - said Solas. - That is not a pain you can heal.

When they silenced Emilia was shocked. She didn't understand a half of what they said, but this what she did was enough. She had no idea that Solas left the Inquisitor.

"Why did he do that? I thought there was a strong feeling between them..." she thought. She didn't know why, but those questions niggled her to the end of a day.

When she finally got to her room at Skyhold, she had to sit down and unscramble eveything.

"He had to have a sirious reason to leave her. This is the only solution I see." she thought again. "But what could it be? What can force you to make such a radical move?"

And right then she remembered something, a part of the talk:

"He hurts, an old pain from before"

"An old pain? Something terrible had to happen if it hounds him for so long..." she continued her reflections.

Then suddenly next thought appeared in her head. It was something that Solas said some time ago, something that Emilia didn't understand back then:

"A mistake. One of many made by a much younger elf who was certain he knew everything."

She also remembered that the conversation sounded very serious and Solas was particulary grim at that moment.

"It has to mean something. Perhaps his pain is connected to his mistake. It is possible considering Cole feels that Solas still keeps that in mind. This is the reason Cole spoke about it. Yes." Emilia was getting further in her deliberation.

"Hmm, let's suppose that he accualy is very old. I know it can be absurd, but let's just check out where it leads... His statement about elven gods and the Arlathan. When I heard it I had a strange feeling that he said it like he was accually there, living among them...

Emila frowned because she didn't know what she should think about this.

"What was more surprising and what would confirm my theory is that he believes no god existed, just people... " she continued.

"If he really remembers the times of the ancient elven empire he... he had to be one of those perceived by other elves as gods, no other elf could be able to live that long... And only such a person could be able to remove a vallaslin, I know it! There is no other way!"

Emilia paused here, for she couldn't believe where she got to in her reflections. It was so astonishing that she had to make a few deep breaths to calm down.

"Alright, continuing..." she thought a minute later.

- Pff, this will do me in. - she said laudly because she still couldn't gather her thoughts.

- But I have to move forward. It is very important.

Emilia closed her eyes, made one more deep breath and afterwards she focused again:

"So which elven god could do a mistake? A big one, in fact. Any other wouldn't matter for a long time. Hmm, there were stories about this Dread Wolf... a... Fen'Harel. However, he betrayed other gods, I don't feel that this is an issue that can have a hold on you. The only truly bad thing that happened to the elves was the lost of their empire and immortality, if they were immortal in general. But is it possible that he has something to do with this event? No, no, he couldn't. He couldn't, right?

Emilia's heart was paunding terribly. Every peace of this puzzle fit together, but it was that unbelievable that she couldn't come to terms with it. It was too much for her.

- Maybe I'm just crazy... maybe this is completly bullshit... with so little information about him I could have got to such an absurd conclusion... - she said laudly, clutching her head. Although her intuition spoke to her otherwise.

- How can I know?

She silenced for a while, a then she said to herself with anxiety in her voice:

- Solas... is the Dread Wolf...?

She pursed her lips and lifelessy leaned on a back of hair.

"It can't have such a strong control over me." she finally thought, after a couple of minutes. "I have to do something with it, it can't stay just like that. However, what shall I do? The Inquisitor should know about it, but I can't trouble her with a thing that can turn out to be something completly fanciful... I have to make sure at first."

The woman frowned wondering about a solution. After some time she was left with only a single option:

- I need to speak with Solas. I have to remember that he is a good person and it would be unfair to deal with this situation behind his back. He deserves to solve this together with him.

She silenced and a couple of seconds later when she gathered her strenghs, she spoke up again:

- Alright, so it is decided.

Emilia stood up, then left her room and headed to the place where Solas was staying. Unluckly, she didn't catch him in, therefore, she left him a note, asking him to meet with her as soon as he can, for the matter is urgent.

Afterwards she slowly walked away back to her quarters.

In the early evening when the stars started to appear at the dark sky Emilia heard a quiet pace and a knocking on the door.